The Wizards (-4.5) host the Clippers on Tuesday night coming off a disastrous loss against the Celtics on Sunday.
The home team has won 10 of the last 11 games between these two squads and Bradley Beal scored at least 28 points in both of the team’s matchups last season, though Washington was only able to get the victory in the early March home contest.
As we await the contest, let’s take a look at some trade notes out of Washington:
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- Thomas Bryant seems unlikely to be traded ahead of the February 10 deadline. The big man is a front office favorite and his outside shooting makes him a great fit with a multitude of lineup combinations in Washington.
- Trading Montrezl Harrell comes with risk given that Bryant is coming off an injury and Gafford’s history of foul troubles, though it’s fair to wonder if the Rich Paul client would net the team the most in a deal. The big man is making $9.72 million on an expiring deal and has proven he can make an impact in a role off the bench for a contending team. I’d expect Tommy Sheppard to swing for a major deal over the coming weeks, though short of that, dealing Harrell along with another piece for an upgrade elsewhere on the roster could be a sound maneuver.
Latest on Bradley Beal
Despite Beal not signing a contract extension during the season, the Wizards have no plans to trade the star. Beal has financial reasons to wait until the offseason to sign a new deal rather than signing an extension now.
Beal was recently asked about the Wizards’ depth and the coaching staff’s “good problem” of having to figure out which players should get court time when speaking with FortyEightMinutes and other media.
“This is a good problem to have,” Beal explained. “…but on the flip side of it, it may mean that some guys may not play, some guys we may move on from. Some guys may just not get an opportunity.”
It’s no secret that the Wizards may be best served to consolidate some of their talent and it sounds like the team’s star is well-aware.
