One of the stars most linked to the Boston Celtics over the past several years has been Washington Wizards SG Bradley Beal.
There’s the connection to Cs star Jayson Tatum, the erosion of the Wizards’ competitiveness over that time span, and the underperformance of Boston’s current core that have brought that connection to light.
Still, many that cover the Boston Celtics are not sold on that being the solution to the C’s current woes: 2-4 after two consecutive losses to Beal’s Wizards, with a lack of support for the ‘Jays’ being a constant headline.
While Beal would undoubtedly provide an offensive boost, the question of whether he is the right guy to complement Boston’s two best players given the cost it’d take to land him is one many are answering with a solid “no”.
Chris Forsberg has joined the fray of those unconvinced that he is the answer:
"However, a monster usage rate, his defensive woes, and a declining 3-point shot, fly counter to what might be ideal to pair alongside a Tatum/Brown core.It might be a moot point. The path to delivering Beal to Boston, as has been well documented, is filled with hurdles. It would necessitate Beal either pulling an Anthony Davis-like power play to generate a trade — even then the Wizards would dig in for maximum return — or force the Celtics to trim to bare bones in order to pursue him on the free agent market should he elect to opt out of the final year of his contract (and likely be willing to leave money on the table to sign outright with Boston)."
At this point, Wizards fans have every right to ask the Celtics beat to back off of Beal. They have a solid roster filled with explosive complementary talent and intriguing youth and have begun a winning streak at the C’s expense.
Given all of the resistance to wanting Beal in green, perhaps President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens will elect to oblige.