Yahoo Sports Offseason roundup: Zion Williamson and Bradley Beal trade rumors
With the NBA Finals over, rumor and speculation season has officially begun. We are starting to hear rumblings of potential trade candidates with the NBA draft a week away.
Could the Pelicans be considering trading Zion Williamson to move up in the draft? And what kind of package are the Wizards looking at if they were to trade Bradley Beal? Here is a breakdown of some of the latest top intel and reporting.
Zion Williamson
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans are aggressively pursuing the 2nd or 3rd overall selection to select Scoot Henderson. The implication of such reporting is that they might be willing to put Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson on the table. They could also offer a picks-based package from their surplus of future first-round picks, but that may not move the needle for Portland or Charlotte.
Whether or not this coming from either team to drum up the trade market for their respective picks, Charania later followed up his reporting by mentioning Williamson. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also added that people around the league are wondering if the Pelicans are open to trading Williamson. If true, it is likely a reaction to his lack of availability and overall approach, according to Marc Stein.
Williamson is set to have a $33.5 million starting salary once the new league year rolls in. The Hornets and Blazers would be required to send back $26 million in outgoing salaries to match for Williamson, not including their first-round pick, which wouldn’t count toward salary matching. The Hornets can get there with Terry Rozier and a small salary, while the Blazers can match with a combination of Anfernee Simons and a small salary.
One other reason for the Pelicans to trade Williamson, or another significant contract like Ingram or CJ McCollum, is to lower expenses. They are right at the luxury tax without doing anything, which effectively freezes their roster. They will likely be taxpayers as soon as 2024-25 with this core with Herbert Jones due for a significant new contract. Trading one of their three highest-paid players could open up present flexibility and stabilize their payroll long-term.
Bradley Beal
When the Wizards reorganized their front office, it signaled the possibility of a rebuild. It may not happen this summer since they could still bring back Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma, but a teardown feels inevitable at some point in the near future. This naturally leaves us to speculate on the future of Bradley Beal, a player who we all thought was going to get traded by now.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards and Beal will work together on a trade should the organization decide to enter a rebuild. Beal is owed $207.7 million over the next four years and has a no-trade clause, two major factors that could limit the return on a trade for him. Had they traded him two years ago off arguably his best season, they could’ve gotten a haul for him.
According to Charania, one team that could be prominent in trade discussions for Beal is the Miami Heat. They are expected to pursue a trade for an All-Star and have plenty of trade ballast to match Beal’s salary. They may not have the best offer for a player like Damian Lillard but they should have sufficient for Beal. Tyler Herro would logically be the centerpiece of Miami’s trade package, and they can also attach a maximum of three first-round picks.
The Heat may arguably be better off keeping 23-year-old Herro at $30 million annually than going for 30-year-old Beal at over $50 million annually. However, if they are able to get off the salaries of Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and Victor Oladipo in the process, and potentially get a veteran like Delon Wright back as well, then it starts to make more sense for them. Such an overhaul could open up more flexibility to retain Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency.
Beal ultimately controls his destination, which would favor the Heat in negotiations if that’s where he wants to be. One thing worth monitoring regarding such an All-Star trade is the timing of it. A team that projects to be a big spender next year like the Heat, Sixers, or Clippers might be more motivated to execute such an acquisition by June 30. That’s because they’ll still be operating under the current trade rules, which are set to change once the new league year rolls in.
For example, teams could acquire Beal for a minimum of $34.5 million in outgoing salaries by June 30 and wouldn’t be subjected to the hard cap for next season. That minimum figure changes to $37.3 million starting in July, but any team sending that minimum requirement wouldn’t be allowed to pass the $169 million first tax apron. Any team that wishes to acquire Beal and spend above the first tax apron would have to send out a minimum of $42.6 million in the trade.
You can follow Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) on Twitter.
