Beal has so far expressed he wants to remain in Washington and has not indicated he prefers to be traded, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic. The Wizards, in turn, have no interest in trading him. Amid calls from the general public and even ones from around the league that a team at the bottom of the standings would be best off dealing its prized player, Washington has made it clear it has no plans to move him. – via Shams Charania, Fred Katz, Shams Charania and Fred Katz @ The Athletic
He is privately frustrated and confused with the perpetual portrayal of his situation, according to sources familiar with his thinking. After seeing other players take criticism for requesting to leave teams, those sources say Beal feels he’s getting nitpicked for choosing to stay in D.C., where he began his NBA career in 2012. He felt similarly when he signed an extension in October 2019. Speculation about his future has swirled since before then. – via Shams Charania, Fred Katz, Shams Charania and Fred Katz @ The Athletic
There is a long way to go until the March 25 trade deadline, but several teams that would be in the hunt for Beal do not expect him to become available this season. “(The Wizards) have maintained what they’ve always maintained,” one rival executive said. “They’re building something in Washington around Beal.” – via Shams Charania, Fred Katz, Shams Charania and Fred Katz @ The Athletic
Opposing organizations don’t get the impression that this is some kind of leverage play from the Wizards. They don’t believe Washington is insisting that Beal is unavailable as some kind of ploy to raise an asking price. General manager Tommy Sheppard is operating inside a market that just saw the Rockets acquire four first-round draft picks and four first-round draft swaps in exchange for Harden. Only a few months ago, the Pelicans received three first-rounders and two swaps for Jrue Holiday. Beal could reasonably command more than New Orleans got, especially if a trade came now — though there would be complications in trying to pull off a deal before the trade deadline. – via Shams Charania, Fred Katz, Shams Charania and Fred Katz @ The Athletic
