Let's Set Odds: Where Will Bradley Beal Play Next Season?

For years, the basketball community has collectively wondered if Bradley Beal was ever going to move on from the Washington Wizards. Washington hasn’t been a legitimate contender since John Wall tore his Achilles, leaving Beal as the lone star in the Nation’s capital. 

Yesterday, however, there were reports about Beal opting out of his contract, which sparked the “Beal leaving Washington conversation.”

Beal then decided to respond with a tweet of his own.

Both tweets could be true. Beal could very well be opting out just to re-sign on a bigger deal with the Wizards, but the intrigue has already started. 

There’s several teams that have been trying to lure Beal to their squad in hopes of creating a superteam. It may seem unlikely right now, but there is a path for Beal to be on a different team next year, which is why I’m here. 

I’m going to set odds for where Beal plays next season, and yes, Washington is on that list. 

Where Will Bradley Beal Play Next Year?

Washington Wizards: -250

Beal has stayed loyal to the Wizards through much worse situations. If he wanted to be in Washington then, I don’t see how he truly walks away from them now. The Wizards traded for Kristaps Porzingis last season and will have a secondary punch to Beal’s scoring. Washington started off the season hot last year and was making a push for the playoffs. 

If Beal and Porzingis can find chemistry, then maybe Washington sneaks into the play-in conversation. 

Miami Heat: +175

It seems like the Heat are always lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect time to strike. After this past playoff run, it was clear that Miami needed more help on offense. Beal would fix a lot of the Heat's offensive problems. He would help in the half-court, give Jimmy Butler some rest and take a lot of pressure off of Bam Adebayo to be a scorer. 

Miami never fails to find a way to make things work, so I wouldn’t be shocked if Pat Riley was the one that ended up with Beal on his team. 

Los Angeles Lakers: +350

I’m not sure what the Lakers will have to offer, but maybe the Wizards are dumb enough to take a small package from the Lakers. Los Angeles would have to find a trade partner to get rid of Russell Westbrook’s contract, but that seems like it might happen sometime this offseason. 

Beal on the Lakers would give LeBron James one of the best perimeter scoring threats he’s ever had and would be extremely valuable considering James is aging and Anthony Davis can’t stay healthy for an entire year. 

Field: +600

If you aren’t a title contender, there isn’t much Bradley Beal can do for you. Even for title contenders, is Beal the type of player you’d mess with your core for? I’m not sure.

There’s a lot of ifs surrounding Beal in imperfect situations, so I’m not sure the rest of the league wants to pay top dollar for a player like him.