The 2023 NBA Playoffs are underway and once again basketball fans are being treated to teams competing in close games with fantastic finishes. It has often been said that nothing matches the excitement of NBA postseason play, and so far, this year has been no exception. While the playoffs have been lots of fun thus far, teams that are on the outside looking in are inevitably upset about the missed opportunity while simultaneously strategizing about the future.
One surefire way to lose your fan base is to go on an extended postseason drought and as much as professional basketball is fun, we must always keep in mind that it is a business. If teams don’t put a winning product on the floor, ticket sales and television viewership will drop which will have a negative impact on the franchises’ value.
Bradley Beal has become a superstar during his time with the Washington Wizards but it may be time for the team to head in a different direction.
The Washington Wizards have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons. After acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis just before the trade deadline last season, fans in the District of Columbia thought the future of their basketball team was bright. However, the team underperformed in the second half of the season and turned in another subpar campaign this season. Considering the fact that the team sealed the deal on a $251 million dollar max contract with star guard Bradley Beal this past off-season, missing the playoffs was a major disappointment.
Next season will be Bradley Beal’s twelfth year in the league; he has only participated in the playoffs five times. He has not disappointed as an individual talent but the team has not been able to find consistent success with him as their franchise player; it may be time for Washington to trade their away cornerstone, who will turn 30 years old before the start of next season, and move in a new direction. Let’s take a closer look at possible trade scenarios for Bradley Beal that could be mutually beneficial for the star guard and the franchise as a whole.