Since the 2019 NBA offseason started, the Washington Wizards continue to remind everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading Bradley Beal and undergoing a full-scale rebuild. To stop the rumors surrounding Beal, the Wizards recently offered him a three-year, $111 million massive contract extension. Unfortunately, as of now, Beal remains undecided whether he will sign an extension with the Wizards or not.
Beal may not be showing any sign that he’s no longer happy in Washington, but once they struggle earlier in the 2019-20 NBA season, the All-Star shooting guard might consider following the footsteps of Anthony Davis and Paul George and demand a trade from the Wizards. Once Beal becomes officially available on the trading block, one of the NBA teams who could make a “compelling offer” to the Wizards is the Denver Nuggets, according to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report .
After years as a mostly middling team, the Nuggets have finally found their way back to the top of the league, finishing the 2018-19 NBA season as the second-best team in the Western Conference to end their five-year playoff drought. However, the outcome of this year’s playoffs — where they suffered a massive defeat from the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Semifinals — showed that the Nuggets need more star power on their roster in order to have a better chance of reaching the NBA Finals and bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Denver.
ICYMI: Bradley Beal’s an 87 overall in 2K20 and quite frankly, it’s a joke ?
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— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) August 7, 2019
Beal may not be on the level of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, or Kevin Durant, but Bailey believes that adding him to the core of Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, and Nikola Jokic would turn the Nuggets into a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference. Beal would give the Nuggets a very reliable scoring option who knows how to efficiently play alongside other NBA superstars. Last season, the 26-year-old shooting guard averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc.
To acquire Bradley Beal, Bailey suggested that the Nuggets could offer a trade package including Michael Porter Jr., Gary Harris, Juan Hernangomez, and future draft picks to the Wizards. The proposed trade deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it will not only be beneficial for the Nuggets but also for the Wizards.
“Porter was widely forecasted as the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft before injuries derailed both his freshman season at Missouri and his first year in the NBA. There are serious questions about his health and whether he was worth the hype, but he could form one half of an interesting forward tandem with Rui Hachimura. Hernangomez still offers promise, as well. He’s 6’9″, entering his age-24 season and has a career three-point percentage of 36.6. Harris is just one year older, though he’s much more established in the NBA than either of those forwards.”
With their current situation, the Wizards are undeniably better off undergoing a rebuilding process than trying to stay competitive in the league. With John Wall remains on the sidelines due to injury, the Wizards may even have a hard time earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference next season. Even if Wall returns healthy and immediately regains his All-Star form, it remains a big question mark if the Wizards have what it takes to contend for the NBA championship.