NBA Rumors: John Wall, Bradley Beal Possible Trade Targets?

The Washington Wizards have been among the bigger disappointments of the 2018-19 NBA season. Entering the season, the Wizards were considered a lock to reach the playoffs but a 7-12 start has prompted worries that the team may need to rebuild.

ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Nov. 19 that the Wizards were open to dealing anyone on their roster, which includes All-Star guards Bradley Beal and John Wall.

With the starting backcourt available -- in a year where top stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson are in the final year of their contracts -- the possible destinations and what the Wizards can get in return becomes increasingly more interesting. The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are just some of the teams that may be interested in a making a major deal before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Wojnarowski recently pointed out that Beal has more value to teams than Wall.

"There's very few teams who wouldn't be interested in Bradley Beal. The contract. The player. The age. 25 years old. His skill set. Shooting threes. I know Washington has fielded a lot of calls since last week," said Wojnarowski.

Beal and Wall have posted similar statistics. Beal is averaging 21.5 points per game off 45.5 percent shooting, while Wall is averaging 20.9 points per game off 44.5 percent shooting.

However, Beal has a more appealing contract to teams, while Wall's contract extension kicks in next season and averages $42 million per year for the following four years.

As Wojnarowski points out with Wall, "You can count on one hand, and probably with just a couple of fingers places that really might have interest in taking his contract on and what it all means to bring him in."

The Washington Post reported that forward Otto Porter has also been linked to trade rumors.

A major note with Wall, Beal and the rest of the Wizards' roster is that only six players will be under contract entering the 2019-20 season, though the total figure is at $117 million guaranteed salaries and there is $98 million allotted for 2020-21.

Also, there have no reports of direct talks between general manager Ernie Grunfeld and any team about a potential trade.

The Wizards, who are currently tied for 10th place in the Eastern Conference, could still make a push for playoff berth and may just be toying with the idea of changes to their roster.

“I’m not going to be naive to it, you know,” said Beal, according to the Washington Post. “I’ve heard those rumors weeks ago. Then, I didn’t buy into them. Now, I’m still not going to buy into them because if that’s my main priority and focus, then I’m going to be messed up on the floor.”