The Wizards considered bringing back Bradley Beal before the trade deadline, according to Marc Stein’s latest Substack report.
In their unsuccessful attempt to land Jimmy Butler from the Heat, the Suns were desperate to find a third team willing to take on Beal’s contract, as Miami refused to do so. Since Phoenix was over the second apron, the only way to complete that trade while keeping Kevin Durant and Devin Booker was by moving Beal. Ultimately, Butler was traded to the Warriors instead.
Washington originally sent Beal to the Suns in the summer of 2023. The year before, the Wizards had signed him to a five-year extension that included a no-trade clause, which he waived for that deal. However, he refused to waive it again before this year’s deadline.
It remains unclear what incentives the Wizards wanted in exchange for taking on Beal’s contract. One potential reason for Beal to return was the opportunity to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer—he had amassed 15,391 points with Washington, just 160 shy of Elvin Hayes.
With two years left on his contract, Beal averaged 23.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in seven February games, though the Suns struggled with a 1-6 record in that span. He returned to the court on Sunday after missing two games due to tightness in his left calf.
