NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal Quietly Recruits Talent At All-Star Game

Bradley Beal was one of the NBA players mentioned for trade this season, but the tide turned recently. Gone are Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre and Trevor Ariza, while John Wall faces a murky future with yet another surgery done to remove bone spurs on his heel.

Right now, the Washington Wizards find themselves in rebuilding mode, with Beal looming as the headman, for now, SB Nation reported. But from the looks of it, he could be the team’s new franchise player (with due respect to Wall).

With that said, it looks like Beal is embracing the role and taking the initiative to help the Wizards pick up the pieces. He was reportedly active in pitching to several NBA all-stars at the 2019 NBA All-Star Game, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reported. The 25-year-old added that there were even some who approached him about the idea.

The whole thing may seem premature at this point, but seeing efforts on Beal’s end is commendable. With the team in shambles, taking the lead at this point shows why Beal may soon find himself as the team’s new leader. However, recruiting is one thing, and actually getting any of the unnamed NBA superstars to sign on the dotted line is an entirely different matter, the Bleacher Report noted.

The reason behind the signing conflict is the salary budget that the Wizards have right now. Adding another NBA star may need a miracle to consummate. Washington does not have the cap space right now, with John Wall accounting for the four-year $170 million contract that starts on July 1. According to Spotrac, the Wizards will find themselves $166,400 over the salary cap.

So are the efforts of Beal for naught? On paper, it looks that way, unless the Wizards are able to find a way to do a numbers crunch. Wall is unquestionably star potential, but seeing him go down to injury raises questions on the cost-efficiency of the supermax contract he got.

A trade involving Wall could happen, but no team in their right mind would inherit such bloated numbers. This issue is likely to be tackled once Wall is back in harness, and the result will depend on how he performs thereafter. Hence, Beal could be on to something, pitching the Wizards to select players who could come in depending on Wall’s recovery from injury.