Surprising team listed as favorite to land Bradley Beal
Jan 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Bradley Beal could be making a Jaws-sized splash this offseason.
Online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag posted odds this week for the three-time All-Star Beal’s next landing spot. Surprisingly, they have the Boston Celtics listed as the favorite to land Beal at 3-1 odds. The Portland Trail Blazers (4-1), Miami Heat (5-1), Brooklyn Nets (6-1), and Atlanta Hawks (7-1) round out the top five on the list.
Beal, 28, can be an unrestricted free agent by declining his player option for next season. He has spent his entire ten-year career with the Washington Wizards but revealed this week that he has made a decision on his future. That has led to speculation that Beal may be leaving Washington.
The Celtics landing Beal would be a stunner, especially since they just came two wins away from a championship with their current nucleus. Integrating another high-volume scorer like Beal would pose a serious shift in identity for Boston, and they are already at $149 million in salary for next season, right around the luxury tax apron.
Still, a sign-and-trade for Beal is a possibility if the Celtics are comfortable with giving up pieces like Derrick White (owed $16.9 million next season), Daniel Theis ($8.7 million), or even Marcus Smart ($17.2 million). Worth noting as well is that Beal appears to be close with one of Boston’s stars.
