Suns trade Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and draft picks to Wizards for Bradley Beal

The Washington Wizards on Saturday, June 24 acquired guards Chris Paul and Landry Shamet, four first round pick swaps (2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030) and six second round picks (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030) from the Phoenix Suns as part of the agreement to trade guard Bradley Beal to Phoenix.

“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” said Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder and CEO Ted Leonsis. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”

Beal leaves as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,514) while ranking second in total points (15,391), second in steals (772) and third in games played (695). He also ranks in the franchise’s top five in minutes played, assists and free throws with averages of 22.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game during his 11 seasons with the Wizards. Beal earned three All-Star selections, was named All-NBA Third Team in 2020-21 and was named the 2018-19 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner.

“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” said Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”

Shamet owns career averages of 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting .388 from three-point range in 302 games with Philadelphia, the LA Clippers, Brooklyn and Phoenix. He averaged 8.7 points, a career-high 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 40 games with the Suns last season, raising his numbers to 11.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in nine games as a starter. The five-year veteran was originally drafted by the Sixers with the 26th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft and was named to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

“Landry has a well-deserved reputation as a connector and positive influence in the locker room in addition to his abilities on the court,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “He will be a valuable contributor to our organization.”

Guard Jordan Goodwin and forward Isaiah Todd will also go from Washington to Phoenix as part of the deal, while Phoenix’s 2028 second round pick along with the Wizards’ 2029 second round pick and the draft rights to Jarace Walker (the eighth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft) will go to Indiana for the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (the seventh pick in the 2023 NBA Draft).

Goodwin averaged 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 62 games for the Wizards this season. He was originally signed as a two-way player before being converted to a regular contract on Feb. 24. Todd averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in 18 games for the Wizards over the past two seasons. His draft rights were originally acquired as part of a five-team trade on Aug. 6, 2021.

Some Heat possibilities for 2023 NBA free agency

Via the Miami Herald:

The big priority of this Heat offseason is adding a star player who can take some of the scoring load off Jimmy Butler.

But what if the Heat could add two?

There is a path to the Heat acquiring both Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal, but it would require the cooperation of the Trail Blazers and the Wizards, as well as the two stars pushing their way to Miami.

Lillard hasn’t asked for a trade but has said the Heat would appeal to him if he does. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this week that it seems like Portland will keep Lillard and that nothing is percolating on the trade front. But Lillard has left open the possibility of asking for a trade if the Blazers do not build their roster into a contender.

Bradley Beal returns, but Wizards lose 10th straight game

The good news is, Bradley Beal is back in action for the Washington Wizards. The bad news is, his return couldn’t prevent the team from losing their 10th game in a row. Via the Washington Post:

Sunday’s game ended with drama appropriate of a Hollywood script, but the Lakers emerged as the heroes. They prevailed, 119-117, to hand Washington its 10th straight loss, making it 41 days since the Wizards have won on the road.

A back-and-forth thriller in the fourth quarter came down to one scrambled possession.

James had the ball just inside the half-court line when Deni Avdija and Kuzma trapped him in a double team, forcing a turnover out of James that he ended up sending off Kuzma’s leg. A scramble for the ball ended up with James recovering and getting the ball to former Wizard Thomas Bryant for a smooth, go-ahead dunk with less than eight seconds to play. Kuzma missed a desperation three-pointer on the other end to end it.

“I felt like they were not at our level,” a visibly agitated Kristaps Porzingis said, trying to find his words. “We just lost the game. Obviously LeBron did his thing and played well, but — some mental mistakes from us. I don’t know what to say. It’s tough, it’s tough, it’s tough. But, yeah, we’re going to get out of it.

“If [Kuzma’s three-pointer] went in, it would have been a completely different movie. Nobody wants to be in this position, but we’re going to have to find a way out, to dig our way out of this.”

The Wizards are 11-20 this season, which ties them with the Orlando Magic for the 12th best record in the Eastern conference.

Wizards re-sign Bradley Beal

The Washington Wizards on Wednesday, July 6 signed three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal to a five-year contract beginning in 2022-23.

“Bradley has truly established himself among his peers in the NBA, the all-time greats in our team’s history and the leaders who are making a difference in the community over his 10 years with us,” said Chairman and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment Ted Leonsis. “He has set a consistent example of hard work and dedication to develop into our franchise player and we are proud to show our commitment to having him continue to lead us on and off the court as he cements his legacy in Washington.”

The 10-year NBA veteran has spent his entire career in Washington, making him one of six active players to have played 10+ years with the same franchise (Udonis Haslem, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard) and one of only two players (Wes Unseld, 13 seasons) to play 10+ seasons with the Wizards franchise. Beal is the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,434) and is on pace to pass Elvin Hayes as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 season (he is currently second all-time in points scored with 14,321 to Hayes’ 15,551). He ranks third in games played with Washington at 645, trailing only Unseld (984) and Hayes (731). Beal also ranks in the franchise’s top five in minutes played, assists, steals and free throws.

“I have been blessed to call the city of Washington my home and the Wizards organization and our fans my family for the last 10 years, growing as a player, a leader, a husband and a father along the way,” said Beal. “Today represents such a special moment in my life. I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to continue to partner with Ted, Tommy, Wes and the entire organization in moving forward to achieve our dream of bringing championships to D.C. and, just as importantly, to help our community continue to accomplish amazing things together.”

Beal narrowly lost the NBA scoring title to Steph Curry in the 2020-21 season, where he averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game on a career-high .485 shooting percentage from the field, earning an All-NBA Third Team nod. With the effort, Beal became just the sixth player since the NBA-ABA merger to average 30+ points in back-to-back seasons, joining Adrian Dantley, Michael Jordan (seven straight) Allen Iverson (twice), Kobe Bryant, and James Harden (three straight). Beal’s 34 games with 30+ points that season ranked as the fourth-most in franchise history and his 60-point effort on January 6 at Philadelphia was the second-highest scoring game in team history.

“Bradley’s level of talent, character and work ethic combine to make him one of the most remarkable players and people I have been privileged to work with over my career in the NBA,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “We have built our roster to complement his all-around game and couldn’t be more excited to have him make the commitment to keep our franchise moving in the right direction.”

The 29-year-old holds career averages of 22.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Beal is one of six D.C. athletes to be with their respective team 10+ seasons, joining Capitals Nicklas Backstrom (15), John Carlson (13), Dmitry Orlov (10) and Alex Ovechkin (17), and National Stephen Strasburg (13). He is coming off a 2021-22 campaign cut short due to a wrist injury which saw him average a career-high 6.6 assists in 40 games played.

Bradley Beal to stay with Wizards

Per ESPN.com, “All-Star guard Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251 million maximum contract to stay with the Washington Wizards, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tells ESPN as NBA free agency opened Thursday. Beal, who has played his entire 10-year career with the Wizards, has now committed himself to the franchise for the duration of his prime.”

Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending wrist surgery

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament of his left wrist and will miss the remainder of the regular season.

The decision to proceed with the surgery was mutually agreed upon by the team, Beal and his representation after a re-evaluation today by Hand Specialist Dr. Michele Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and the Wizards medical team.

“Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve,” said Beal. “I’m disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100% and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future.”

Per the Washington Times, “now, Beal will focus on rehab in the coming months. But he‘ll have a gigantic decision to make this summer as the three-time All-Star can opt out of his contract to reach free agency. The Wizards can offer Beal a five-year contract worth $241 million, though there’s no guarantee that Beal would accept. Beal has long said he wants to stay in Washington, but a recent report from The Athletic indicated that the 28-year-old “remains uncertain” whether the Wizards’ front office can surround him with enough talent to seriously compete in the long run.”

The injury, which Beal suffered at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter at Memphis on January 29, was originally revealed following examination and testing by Wizards Head Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. William Postma and Hand Specialist Dr. Curtis Henn of MedStar Health in conjunction with Dr. Carlson and Monumental Basketball Chief of Athlete Care & Performance Dr. Daniel Medina.

The three-time All-Star averaged 23.2 points, a career-high 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 40 games this season.