Will Bradley Beal Be In Play For Hawks This Offseason?

Bradley Beal has been the subject of much speculation ever since Jimmy Butler was revealed to have his eye on landing on the Phoenix Suns. The thing was, Butler wasn’t eyeing a team up with Beal and Devin Booker, but Booker and Kevin Durant. Thus, the Suns endeavored to trade the three-time All-Star, to no avail. After cold calling many, if not every organization, “only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he’d waive his no-trade clause to go there,” per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst.

Obviously, Beal never waived his no-trade clause, so he’s still in the desert. So are Booker and Durant, largely because the latter was unwilling to accept a trade that would have sent him back to the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, with Butler unable to maneuver his way to Phoenix, he landed with Golden State.

But where does this leave Beal and the Hawks, both of whom could be entering critical offseason periods?

Will Bradley Beal Be In Play For Hawks This Offseason?

The notion of the Hawks being willing to add Beal to the roster isn’t altogether too surprising.

Although there was too much overlap in Atlanta’s Trae Young–Dejounte Murray pairing, the Suns’ star is a different player than either Young or Murray.

Both Young and Murray are point guards and primary facilitators. Beal on the other hand is traditional, albeit slightly undersized, shooting guard. Though he’s able to thrive when featured as a playmaker, he’s more comfortable when allowed to focus on scoring. Furthermore, neither Young, Murray, nor Beal have pristine percentages from outside, even if they have a picturesque jumper. Nevertheless, because he’s used to being the off-guard, playing off-ball comes more naturally to him.

On paper, Young and Beal would’ve meshed at least relatively well offensively. At the defensive end, their height causes some concern but their increased effort over the past two seasons helps alleviate it. If the Hawks had been able to pull off a trade for Beal, it could’ve been a strong one. Unfortunately for them, Beal didn’t consider Atlanta to be one of the warm weather destinations he would’ve waived his no-trade clause for.

Perhaps, he’ll change his mind in the offseason though. If the Suns continue to struggle, it’s not just Durant who could consider alternate destinations. Additionally, in the summertime, school is out and families are on vacation; it’s probably an easier time to relocate his family.

Problematic Pecking Order

Missing out on Beal could turn out to be for the best. Unlike Durant, who the Hawks were also trying to acquire at the trade deadline, he wasn’t as simple a fit in Atlanta’s offense. Upon arrival, Durant would instantly become Atlanta’s best scorer and No. 1 option, more likely than not.

Yet, the offensive gap between Beal and Young didn’t favor the St. Louis native. Even when compared to Jalen Johnson, it’s possible that Beal would’ve been relegated to third in the pecking order. This is also an issue that Atlanta might have run into with Brandon Ingram, another rumored trade deadline target. Of course, Beal has shown that he’s willing to do that for Durant and Booker in Phoenix. However, he might not easily accept doing that for Johnson, who isn’t as accomplished as Durant or Booker.

If he is, then the Hawks would’ve upgraded their starting lineup merely by making him Zaccharie Risacher‘s replacement. The 2024 No. 1 pick has performed admirably, particularly at the defensive end. However, the rookie is averaging just 11.2 points per game on .423-.305-.694 splits. For comparison’s sake, Beal is currently averaging 17.4 points per game on .495-.401-.810 shooting splits in what’s considered a down season.