
It is officially the most wonderful time of the year for the NBA rumor mill, and two top Eastern Conference stars are giving us a reminder of that.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Indiana Pacers big Domantas Sabonis sparked rumors this week with their activity on Instagram. A post went viral claiming that Sabonis recently started to follow Beal as well as Beal’s Wizards teammates, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija.
Deni Avdija too pic.twitter.com/arcwyzDZ3a
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) January 23, 2022

Wizards insider Quinton Mayo clarified that it was only Beal that Sabonis recently began to follow, which is still a pretty noteworthy development.
FWIW: IG puts your mutual following at the top, Beal is the lone recent follow.
He’s followed Rui and Deni for quite some time. https://t.co/I1VSoyKkW9 pic.twitter.com/d6PBRyI0B8
— Scoutology Sports (@TheScoutology) January 23, 2022
Beal now apparently follows Sabonis on Instagram as well.
Sabonis and Beal started following eachother on insta👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/vYraruvj2x
— Elliot🧙♂️ (@ElliotKoren619) January 23, 2022
The timing here makes it even more interesting. We recently heard rumors linking Sabonis to the Wizards with Beal reportedly getting involved as well. The two-time All-Star Sabonis is stuck on a deteriorating Pacers team while the Wizards are in the playoff picture.
Sabonis is in Year 2 of a four-year, $75 million deal, which could make him a bit tough to trade. But the Pacers seem to be open to the idea ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, and Sabonis seems to have a team that he would like to end up with.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) warms up before the game between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports