In the last few hours, the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat have become the top favorites to acquire Bradley Beal via transfer, confirmed sources close to the media. The Athletic.
The Wizards have made the decision to hit the reset button, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of their star and his sprawling salary. Of course, it has to be for good, since the player will always have the last word in the possible agreement due to his ‘anti-transfer’ clause.
And what would both offer to get ahead of Sacramento and New York in the bid for Beal? The Heat would have offered players Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson, plus multiple first round picks.
For their part, those from Arizona would have put on the table a package made up of DeAndre Ayton and veteran Chris Paul, who has already been confirmed that he will not continue with the Suns next season.
Kyle Lowry will face his last guaranteed campaign valued at almost 30 million dollars, and the aforementioned Robinson would still have 3 courses ahead for a total of 57 million dollars.
As for Paul, he has two more seasons at a rate of 30 million per year, and Ayton will receive an ascending salary of 32, 34 and 35.50 million for the 2025-26 season.
But, and are they willing to eat these contracts? Here is the question that many ask, but it is that as we well pointed out, the renewal clause signed by Bradley Beal gives him enormous power, and his departure will always be “for good”. That is, the place that most convinces him for his sporting future, and the one that does the least damage to the coffers of the capital.
The time is gold
Just a few days before the start of the next 2023 Draft, the Wizards want to speed up negotiations as much as possible to prevent another star like Damian Lillard from requesting his transfer. Faced with this internal fear that circulates in the new offices in Washington, they will do everything on their part to get rid of the almost 210 million dollars that remain to be collected from Bradley Beal until 2027.
And why Lillard? Everyone knows that the Blazers are trying to please their star with a movement that allows them to strengthen their squad in the short term. However, if they finally do not achieve their objective, they will have no choice but to transfer him, and this is where the Miami Heat, among other interested parties, could throw in the towel to focus on the Lillard operation, and would make the departure of their still star much more complicated.
Beal’s salary is made up as follows:
- 2023-24: $46.74 million
- 2024-25: $50.20 million
- 2025-26: $53.66 million
- 2026-27: $57.12 million**
**player option
(Cover photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
