Toronto Raptors in the running for hot ticket Bradley Beal

By Paul Taylor | Jan 20, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 13: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates after hitting a shot in regulation against the Toronto Raptors at Capital One Arena on January 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

If the Washington Wizards look to move Bradley Beal before the trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors will reportedly make an offer for him.

When the Toronto Raptors traded DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, it showed that Masai Ujiri wanted to go all in this season to try and finally get the team to the promised land. And the sense of urgency is palpable, with the strong possibility Leonard will be one and done in Southern Ontario.

With this is mind, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Raptors are looking for ways to make the roster even stronger, prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline. And the latest speculation will be intriguing for many.

Assuming the Washington Wizards decide to move Bradley Beal, the Raptors will reportedly be in the running. At least according to Bleacher Report‘s Ken Berger.

Berger writes that rival executives have told him the Raptors are letting front offices around the league know they’re interested in adding an elite shooting guard. One of the executives he spoke to, believes a package including Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright and a first-round pick might be a sensible starting point.

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A sensible starting point?! From our perspective, this should be the most the Raptors are prepared to offer in exchange for Beal. (We’ve already explained how important Valanciunas is to the team.)

This doesn’t mean Beal wouldn’t be one heck of a coup for Ujiri and company. With the confidence of being named to his first All-Star Game last season, he’s now playing better than ever.

The 25-year-old is setting career highs across the board this season. This includes average points per game, rebounds, assists and even blocks.

It’s tough to pick out one area that’s most impressive. However, Beal’s development with his passing is certainly worthy of note.

People will understandably point towards the St. Louis, Missouri native’s contract, as a potential deterrent. He is in the third season of a five-year deal worth just over $127 million.

Beal’s cap hit increases each year of the deal, up to just over $28.75 million in his final season. Of course, no one ever said quality comes cheap.

In this respect, the Raptors have to project and ask themselves who they’ll be acquiring for the next two and a half seasons? Is Beal’s ceiling that of a franchise player, or someone below this level?

In any event, this might all be just a moot point. Aside from the Wizards having to actually want to make a trade, what about the player himself?

According to Beal’s agent Mark Bartlestein, his client would prefer to remain in Washington. As per NBC Sports, Bartlestein said:

"“Brad wants to win. He wants to win at the highest level, and he wants to compete for championships. I think he’s seeing progress, and he’s going to do everything he can to lead this team. They got themselves into a huge hole, and he’s going to do his best to get them out of it.”"

Now we could be facetious and ask why Beal would want to stay with the Wizards, if he’s serious about winning? Wouldn’t a move to Toronto put him in a better position to compete?

However, there is something to be said for loyalty in professional sports, especially into today’s climate. If the 2012 third overall draft pick doesn’t want to be traded, this will theoretically count for something. (Although not if you were to ask DeRozan.)

In any event, as things stand, the Wizards are denying Beal is available. However, if the team finds itself falling out of the playoff race between now and Feb. 7, this could change.

At that point, the Raptors will still face a challenge to secure the services of Beal, who would undoubtedly be one of the NBA’s hottest tickets. Speculation indicates the likes of the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers would all apparently be interested.

Next. Raptors need Valanciunas but can't rush him. dark

What’s your take on Beal? Do you believe the Toronto Raptors should attempt to trade for him? If so, what would you offer in exchange? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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