The Celtics made inquiries about Bradley Beal in the past, but they’re unlikely to pursue the high-scoring Wizards guard now, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (video link). Boston had thoughts of teaming up Beal with his long-time friend Jayson Tatum, but Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s realistic with the team’s current salary structure.
“My feel from talking to sources is that the Celtics are not necessarily in on this one,” Windhorst said. “Their intention is to get Jaylen Brown on a contract extension this year. Even if they got Jaylen Brown done, the idea of bringing in Bradley Beal would be extraordinarily difficult because of the three contracts together. I don’t think any conversation that involves trading Jaylen Brown is something the Celtics are super interested in right now.”
Brown became eligible for a super-max contract by earning All-NBA honors this season. Beal signed a maximum contract last summer and will make nearly $208MM over the next four years, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- With the Celtics hoping to trim salary this summer, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests potential deals involving Malcolm Brogdon. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a productive first season in Boston, but he’s owed $22.5MM in each of the next two years and that money may be needed elsewhere. Robb proposes trades involving the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Raptors and 76ers.
- The Sixers prefer to re-sign James Harden, but they shouldn’t be viewed as desperate, according to Windhorst, who says in his latest podcast that Philadelphia has alternatives lined up if the veteran guard returns to Houston. “While they absolutely want James Harden back, and I think there’s a way they can play together and still be highly successful, the Sixers have other moves they can make,” Windhorst said. “If Harden walks, they have cap space. They have tradable contracts. They have things they can do. Harden is important, but not the end-all and be-all for the 76ers.”
- Rico Hines will be an assistant to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Hines worked under Nurse with the Raptors last season.
- The Knicks would have numerous ways to match Karl-Anthony Towns‘ salary in a trade if the Timberwolves make him available, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Because Towns’ extension doesn’t start until 2024/25, he will make $36MM next season. Sending out Julius Randle ($25.6MM) or Mitchell Robinson ($15.6MM), either of whom might be redundant on the same team with Towns, gives New York plenty of remaining options to reach a matching figure, Begley notes.
My guess is sixers will go hard after Beal. They have a young player(Maxey) and a big expiring contract(Harris) to be a strong contender for Beal
Maxey and Harris > Beal
Debatable at best. Harris is a stand-still shooter in the sixers(even though he is a way better player than that). Maxey is very good scorer but is a undersized combo G
Assuming Harden leaves, you would be losing Harden, Harris, and Maxey, and gaining Beal.
Hello play in.
Lol with Embiid still playing at a mvp level(not including playoffs). The sixers will still be top 3 in the East. Harden is overrated, Maxey is good but undersized, and the sixers have never figured out how to include Harris in the offense
So you prefer Beal over Harden, Maxey, and Harris,.
Enough said.
Who is your third best player going to be behind Embiid and Beal. Shake Milton? That team has 40 wins written all over it. I don’t think you’ve watched Beal play much lately.
U don’t know basketball. Harden is a FA(the sixers can’t just say we want to keep him). He can leave for nothing. Maxey isn’t a PG(who is an undersized combo G) so if u lose Harden y can’t just shift Maxey to PG. Harris doesn’t fit in the offense and he is a FA after next year. I’m sure he would prefer to go somewhere we can can showcase his skills. If the sixers trade for Beal(u can’t keep Maxey) so I have to include him in the trade. If the sixers don’t trade for Beal, they would need to bring in a bigger PG(to offset Maxey lack of height). Honestly buddy, it’s hard to figure out. I just wish people understood the game and not the name on the back of the jersey
I love watching Bradley Beal when he was in his prime. Just don’t see how if the 76ers subtracting Hardin, Harris and Maxey and adding Beal makes the team better than this past season.
I wouldn’t trade 22 year old Tyrese Maxey! From U Kentucky which only draws great talent. Scores 20 points and shoots 43% from three. Much rather trade 33 year old Harden by all means.
I don’t disagree but Beal and Embiid are friends off the court. They have expressed a desire to play together. Morey in my opinion knows he needs to do something
You’re right. Would be crazy to even consider trading Maxey. Young, talented, already a veteran at age 22. Not costing the 76ers much money yet.
Why is it crazy. He isn’t a PG, he is an undersized combo G. Unless u have a bigger PG he can’t play with another small G. Most PG are smaller. So he needs someone bigger which is mostly a SG. It’s not hard to figure out. Maxey isn’t a PG.
Beal is not a PG himself (hence why he played alongside Westbrook, then Morris) and he’s a horrible defender. Plus, his shooting has regressed. And he’s yet to prove himself as a player who meaningfully contribute to winning. What makes him so much better than Maxey on that ridiculous contract?
If Morey does something as dumb as that, he’ll be gone in no time.
If the wolves trade KAT for Randle…omg
The Knicks need to get younger. Trade Julius to Portland for Simons and the #3 pick and draft 1 of the Thompson Twins or Taylor Hendricks. I’d also trade Mitch Rob. He has no offense and clogs the middle
Portland would have no interest in that trade. Randle would be a good fit for them, but imo they’d view Simons as a roughly equal value to Randle alone, which… honestly I can’t disagree with. Obviously Randle is a better defender and he’s a great rebounder who can score, but he disappears in the playoffs. The third pick and Simons for Randle is a big overpay.
The 76ers are screwed either way…
If they sign Harden they are stuck with that dead money…
If he walks without a sign and trade they can’t use most of the salary cap he took up, only what falls below the line and fits into exceptions…
Morey backed them into a corner where their only real choice is to sign Harden and hope some fool comes along with a trade offer for him…
Would you rather have Ben Simmons not playing and making the same amount? They were backed into a corner the moment they chose their original big 3, Embiid Harris and Simmons. It’s not Mireya fault. If anything, he gave them more flexibility by tradings Ben albatross before it was too late
*Morey’s fault
Its not like Philly would actually win anything….with or without Harden, Tobias ir Beal….
Well, maybe the script Will change with the New coach….
But they always seem to choke after good regular seasons…
Jaylen Brown, Malcom Brogdan and pick 35 for Bradley Beal, Corey Kispert, Isiah Todd and pick 8 in the draft
Washington improve and go younger
Boston, draft Jarace Walker or Taylor Hendricks
Smart Beal Tatum Walker/Hendricks Horford
White Kispert … Gallo Rob Will
Pritchard Todd Muscala
Sixers have said Maxey is off the table.
Knicks can match Towns’ salary, but can they make a competitive offer, outside of salary matching?
Feels like Towns (who I’m not the biggest fan of) is in a diff asset class versus everything the Knicks have.
Offering 2 Invicta watches plus a Apple Watch ain’t getting you a Rolex in a trade.
In some ways, that’s probably true. But Towns has his own downsides (bad defense, passivity, doesn’t really have the ability to get hot and take over a game), and he’s coming off the worst statistical year of his career, even if injuries had a lot to do with that.
I feel like Randle+Robinson+Picks is a competitive offer for Towns. Minny could easily turn around and ship out the picks and Robinson to get another player or multiple pieces for depth if they wanted, and they’d have a real PF and another ball-handler, whereas they kind of pushed Towns and McDaniels into it more than they really should have last year.
imo Randle doesn’t make the T-Wolves any worse (and arguably helps improve them) while the rest of the assets allow for further moves from a team strapped for cap space and young talent to move.
Wolves fan, personal opinion:
I don’t know if the Knicks would do this since he has played very well, but if you add Quickley to that deal I’d take it hands down. Randle + Quickley for Towns, maybe picks in there if it’s necessary to match value but I think Quickley makes a huge difference in that equation.
He’s obviously been a big plus for the Knicks but the guard/wing trio of Brunson/Grimes/Hart, not to mention Barrett also, seems to be something that can work for them where Quickley could be the extra asset that gets KAT in the building.
Wolves need their PG of the future on the roster and could make the Quickley/ANT/McDaniels/Randle/Gobert salaries work given the relative value of Randle’s contract.
KAT is terrible, and NY should run away as fast as they can.
KAT may have to start the season in Minnesota before he can be traded. He and Gobert both trashed their trade value last season. Gonna be hard to move either 1 of them
NBA teams: KAT was really dumb to get hurt last season. Let’s pass.
NBA Teams: This guys sucks, and we can’t figure out how to play him, who to play him with, or what his strengths are…
7 feet tall, yet plays no defense on shooters, or in the post.
Yeah, NBA teams are lining up, and saying KAT is great he was just injured for 50 games last year…
Said the idiot who thought they had to make a point about nothing
BOS should definitely be out on Beal. If they deal Brown, it would be about not super maxing him. It would defeat the purpose to trade him for another pseudo star making the super max. BOS has a year before Brown’s super max extention would kick in. They shouldn’t give away Brogdon, this year anyway. He’s too injury prone to bring back much, and they are not a deep team.
Towns to the NYK would be a great trade in 2k. In the NBA, all it can do is get the FO fired in a year to two. Towns can’t anchor a playoff defense, so we’d be stuck (as MIN now is) playing him at PF next to someone who can. Randle has his flaws, but he at least has proven he can play that spot (and has done so at an All NBA level), while Towns hasn’t (at any level of effectiveness). Randle makes only slightly more than HALF of what Towns is set to earn. Even a straight up swap (with Fournier to match salary) would likely make the NYK a worse team on the court, and certainly restricts what other moves they can make for the balance of Town’s contract which has another 4 years.
There is no way the Celtics want any part of Beal.
Who does at that salary? He’s a negative value already.
If I were the Knicks, I was just do not much at all in the off season. The Knicks have an excellent nucleus all under contract. All in the prime years of their careers. In the Eastern conference playoffs in one of the teams could have easily made it to the finals, the Heat, Bucks, Celtics, Knicks, 76ers. All just a play or two away from winning a certain game that would change the outcomes. Don’t trade for just the sake of trading.
Look if the Sixers went for Beal and let Harden walk.
You would end up with… around 0M in cap space, 7.6 MLE and a roster of…
Embiid
No starting PF (Tobias and Tucker and 29 1st to Wash)
No starting SF
Beal
Maxey
Melton, McDaniels Bird Rts, Reed Bird Rts, House, Furkan, Harrell, Spinger off the bench and 2 open spots.
Renouncing and trading everyone else to clear cap. 14.5M between 4 players to match in a trade and 7.6MLE for a starting SF or PF.
How is that better than last year??
The mle is 12 mill
Tpmle went from 7.2 to 5 this year