The NBA Free agency rumors heat up as some of the big names start to reveal their plans for the offseason.
Bradley Beal is one of the top targets in restricted free agency. Many teams will covet his services but the Washington Wizards have the right to match any offer and keep him.
There is only one way to nab a restricted free agent and that is to offer the maximum contract. His home team will then be placed on the hot seat with the dilemma of "to match or not to match." With Bradley Beal, he has made it clear that he is talking no less than the maximum contract as he confided to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.
"I want to be valued the right way," Beal said. "I feel like I'm a max player and that's what I'm looking for. If Washington can't meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that they probably won't [let me go]. At the end of the day, that's where I want to be. I think a deal will probably get done but you just never know."
There would be many critics who would object to his declaration. Beal is a good player and a possible All-Star but he has been injured too long and too often.
Still, this is the NBA in today's era as the market will dictate the player's value and with the salary cap spike, the Wizards would have to face the reality that if they want to keep Beal, they have to match the offers made by other teams.
The New York Knicks could be a rival for Beal. The team wants more star power (and talent at every turn) so they may deviate from pursuing a point guard and pursue offensive options, as noted in the NY Post article where Phil Jackson clarified that they're not tied down in pursuing a point guard.
"Chasing a point guard, where it becomes just an obsession, isn't necessary. It's not necessary. We can play the game without that," Jackson declared.
The report from Marc Berman continued to state: "Jackson appears to be leaning at better value in adding a pair of athletic, versatile shooting guard/swingman along the lines of DeMar DeRozan, Evan Turner, Kent Bazemore, Nicolas Batum or Bradley Beal instead of a true point guard."
The Lakers could also be interested in Beal if DeMar DeRozan, one of their main targets, decides to stay in Toronto after their remarkable playoff run. The team needs a small forward and a center but would take a solid scorer like Beal if the opportunity presents itself.