Boston Celtics Rumors: Bradley Beal could be available in free agency
The Boston Celtics 2021-22 season ended less than a week ago, but the offseason is already in full force. The 2022 NBA Draft is just two days away, and free agency will presumably open up on June 30th.
It’s no secret that Boston suffered a disappointing end to the season, but it’s time to turn the page. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure the Celtics stay a top the Eastern Conference come next season, but that work has to begin now.
With all these significant events right around the corner, the C’s front office is putting in the work to evaluate the roster as is and identify potential areas of improvement. Considering where this team was at the start of 2022, the tenor of this offseason has changed significantly in quite a short amount of time.
The general consensus is that Boston, as currently constructed, needs to add a few more key pieces to establish themselves as a de facto title contender. Of course, they could accomplish that in one move for a star, and that star might be available in the form of Bradley Beal.
The Boston Celtics and Bradley Beal are once again being linked to each other
For the past year and a half, Beal’s name has been flying around the league as a potential guy that could help an upstart franchise take the next step forward. He’s been stuck on a pretty horrible Washington Wizards squad during that time, which is a big reason why many figured Beal would try to find his way onto a winning squad.
Yet Beal has rejected that notion, and claimed for the better part of the past two seasons that his desire is to stay in Washington and help them build a winner. That was his tenor heading into this offseason, where Beal has a player option in his deal that he is expected to turn down so that he can get a super max five year, $248 million deal from the Wizards.
Beal has never really wavered on that stance. Yet when asked about free agency the other day in an interview with The Athletic, Beal said he’s made his decision on what he will do, but has refused to reveal what that decision is. That strange move has certainly caught the attention of much of the league.
Beal has constantly been linked to the Boston Celtics because they don’t really have a true point guard on their roster. Marcus Smart did a superb job at point guard this season, but he’s not the most natural facilitator on offense, and playmaking is a key area of need this offseason. Beal also is a lifelong friend of Jayson Tatum, and there’s a chance the two want to combine powers and team up for the future.
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Over the past few seasons, Beal has turned himself into one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. He’s shouldering a huge load with the Wizards, and he hasn’t disappointed. His numbers from last season (23.2 PPG, 6.6 APG, 4.7 RPG, 45.1 FG%) were a step back for him, but Beal is still easily one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league.
If Beal decides to leave Washington, he could end up on Boston’s radar. After Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the C’s struggled to score at times last season, and it hurt them mightily in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Having a third option such as Beal would help take the pressure off of those two guys.
Of course, there are a lot of potential concerns with Beal that would pop up here. As mentioned before, he struggled last season, and he’s going to be coming back from a season-ending wrist injury that limited him to only 40 games.
Beal would also cost a large amount of money that Boston will not be able to outright afford. They would have to swing a sign-and-trade deal with Washington for this even be a possibility, and the package they would have to send over would be pretty large. Is Beal worth dismantling a team that just came two wins away from a championship?
The difference between the Beal rumors now from previously is that Boston doesn’t necessarily need him as much as they once did. They could use Beal’s scoring for certain, but Beal is not a natural playmaker himself, and his lack of defensive ability would not slide on this team.
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A trio of Tatum, Brown, and Beal is fun to dream about, but the Boston Celtics have other, more accessible avenues to improve themselves this offseason. It’s fun to daydream about adding Beal to this roster without losing anyone, but it isn’t feasible. So yes, Beal may be available, but that doesn’t mean Boston should pursue him, and that rings true here.