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Raptors were interested in trading for Beal but he shut it down: report

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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Jun 20 2023, 3:28 pm
Raptors were interested in trading for Beal but he shut it down: report
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors were in the Bradley Beal sweepstakes, albeit, about as briefly as possible.

On Sunday, the Phoenix Suns sent shockwaves through the NBA when it was reported by multiple sources, including ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that the three-time NBA All-Star would be traded for a package from the Washington Wizards centred around 38-year-old point guard Chris Paul and a series of draft picks.

Though the details of the deal are still being worked out two days later, with a possible third team involved as a reroute for Paul, it’s clear that Beal will finally have a new home next season after 11 seasons with the Wizards.

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Toronto actually had some interest in trading for Beal, but it wasn’t a mutual offer.

Armed with the NBA’s only current no-trade clause, Beal had the option to veto any trade destination and was not interested in joining the Raptors next season.

“Multiple league sources say [Toronto] made calls to the Wizards about Bradley Beal, but he only had interest in Phoenix,” O’Connor wrote in an article today.

A divisional opponent of Toronto, Beal has played the Raptors 30 times in his career in the regular season, as well as a combined 10 playoff games in 2015 and 2018.

Beal averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 50 games this season.

Joining a roster that already included All-Stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, the Suns’ transformation under new owner Mat Ishbia has left NBA fans salivating about the possibilities of Beal’s ceiling next season.

If there’s any consolation for the Raptors missing out on a star like Beal, it’s that they’ll only see the new-look Suns twice a year, and would only really have to worry about them should both teams advance to the NBA Finals.

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