If The Wizards Have Any Balls They Will Trade Bradley Beal
Sometimes the guy that doesn’t know anything has the best perspective. Keep it in mind and keep those weird brains around you at all times. Yesterday I was on a dog walk with Ryan chatting about how big of an asshole Westbrook is. He’s really going to cry about people calling him “Westbrick” While he’s going to pocket $47 million next year. Don’t worry, this will get to Bradley Beal here eventually.
Ryan asked how someone was dumb enough to give Westbrook that much money. I did my best to try to explain the NBA Cap rules as best I could. You know, bird rights, supermax, all that jazz. Then it got me thinking… wait… this is a scam?
Oh, the players got them good. Oh, they really did. We have now been conned into believing that everyone needs to be super maxed and it’s a good idea to just fold on all these guys? Nobody has cap space. Players just go wherever they want with four years remaining on their deals. The asset cap slot via trade is more important than the actual player itself. Don’t worry, hand the guy the super max and cut him four and a half years later so another contender can just pick him up after you buy him out. Credit to the players. It’s quite a scam.
Westbrick isn’t the only guy making $47 million this year. So is John Wall who just got bought out by the Rockets the other day and was picked up by the Clippers. That Wall contract was signed by the Wizards. They were just lucky enough to get out of it because fortunately for them LeBron has the basketball intelligence of a dead rat and thought it was a good idea to deal all these mid salary tradeable contracts for the biggest cancer in basketball history Westbrook. Aren’t we supposed to learn our lessons?
So you’re telling me if I’m the Wizards I’m just supposed to hand Beal the five year extension for $248 million? That’s REALLY the right thing to do? Paying Beal $50 million per year is the right thing to do? Yeah, I’m out.
What has Bradley Beal won? In what world is he a number one option on a championship team? Are we sure he’s a number two option? You could try to argue it but your supporting evidence probably won’t be very good. He doesn’t play defense, his efficiency numbers aren’t great, and the Wizards haven’t won a second round series ever during his tenure in Washington. This is coming from someone that LOVES Beal but what are we doing here?
Beal, 29, is in the midst of his prime. In reality, he’s probably regressed but maybe being stuck in this Wizards situation has something to do with it. Then again, he’s got A LOT of miles under his belt. Super high minutes and constantly being the do it all guy for a team takes a toll on you. Is it fair to say the last two years of that deal will probably be outrageous? It seems to happen to a lot of these super max guys. Not all of them age gracefully.
Why am I signing the contract then? Better yet, who the fuck am I bidding against? Who’s got cap space? Detroit does but does he really want to go there? Additionally, based on the CBT, Beal would essentially leave $100 million on the table and 5th year of the contract if he leaves in free agency. It’s part of the scam that thought was a good idea to make sure teams get stuck with their aging star that turns into a bad contract. He’s not doing that.
Maybe the Wizards don’t care. They know they have an out in the contract whenever they want. Call it the Paul George rule. I’ll just re-sign with the Thunder, request a trade, then will just force some team to give up all of their picks because I had to sign the super max. Didn’t we learn our lesson from that trade? I’m not giving up the farm for guys in the below Paul George tier only to get stuck with a bad deal at the end of it.
How are the Clippers doing giving up all their assets? How bout the Nets? I’m not giving up picks and assets to trade for Beal and then to be stuck with his awful contract in two years just because he had to make sure he got his extra money. No, sir. I will pass.
If the Wizards have any balls, they will just take care of the problem now. Hey, we’re not giving you the super max. Sorry, go look for a trade. This puppy is dead. We’re not winning a championship with Beal. Boston might if he’s their third guy. Ditto for the Clips, Lakers, Grizzlies, etc. Let him be somebody else’s problem when the poison pill part of the contract kicks in.
Would I trade for Beal? Yes. Sure as hell not for some of these rumored price tags. Al Horford and a couple picks. That’s all you get. I would expect every competent GM to act the same way based on how these declining max guys age.
This should also be the same for Kevin Durant. I love Kevin Durant. I think he’s better than LeBron. Why am I giving up the farm for year 16 of Durant at age 33 who’s already suffered a serious Achilles injury? It’s idiotic.
This whole thing is a scam. Why are we sitting here just accepting it? Is paying Bradley Beal or any third tier star on a championship team worth the supermax? Why are we doing it? Especially on a team that has no shot to win anything. Trade the guy. No balls. Please. We’re just wasting our time here with this Wizards thing.
