Celtics Rumors: Boston Previously Discussed Bradley Beal Trade

If the Celtics in the coming weeks kick around the idea of possibly trading for Bradley Beal, it apparently won’t be the first time Boston’s front office talks shop about the Wizards star.

The Beal rumor mill was set back into motion Wednesday when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Washington and the All-Star guard are discussing scenarios in which the 29-year-old is traded out of the nation’s capital. Shortly after the news broke, 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tony Massarotti issued his own report about Boston’s prior interest in Beal.

“When Brad Stevens became GM, my understanding is that he spoke with the Washington Wizards about Bradley Beal,” Massarotti said on the “Felger & Mazz” radio show, as transcribed by MassLive. “OK. So he’s had discussions with them about Beal in the past. Probably because (Jayson) Tatum wanted him, maybe because he wanted him.”

Of course, a lot has changed since Stevens replaced Danny Ainge. Beal signed a five-year, $251 million contract last summer, and that hefty deal probably will price him out of Boston, assuming the organization wants to keep the Tatum-Jaylen Brown tandem intact. Both Celtics franchise cornerstones are eligible for supermax contracts for their next deals, and Boston is in line to commit roughly $600 million to those two stars.

As for more realistic Beal landing spots, The Athletic’s Shams Charania expects the Milwaukee Bucks and the reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat to be “prominent suitors” for the three-time All-Star.