The Washington Wizards are shopping Bradley Beal and they have at least one team that's already made a call.
Just hours after a report leaked that the Wizards were having verbal confrontations in practice, which included insults and expletives directed at head coach Scott Brooks and general manager Ernie Grunfeld, the Charlotte Hornets have already made a call for Beal.
According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, the Hornets have inquired about the possibility of a trade for the 25-year-old shooting guard.
"The Charlotte Hornets have inquired with the Washington Wizards about the possibility of acquiring shooting guard Bradley Beal, an informed source confirmed Tuesday.
The source didn't identify what the Hornets have offered for Beal, a 6-foot-5 guard averaging 21.5 points this season, or whether any progress has been made toward a deal."
The Hornets are 8-8, and because they're in the Eastern Conference, that .500 record would be good enough to get them into the playoffs. However, Charlotte isn't just thinking about another first-round playoff exit. With franchise star Kemba Walker playing as well as he ever has -- he scored 60 points in a loss to the Sixers on Saturday -- team owner Michael Jordan probably sees this as an opportune time to pair his current franchise star with another one in Beal. The two All-Stars would easily form one of the top backcourts in all of the NBA.
While Beal will not be playing alongside Walker when Charlotte takes the floor next, the Hornets will look to continue their strong play on Wednesday night when they host the Indiana Pacers (7 p.m. ET -- watch on fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension).
The Wizards are 5-11 and they have one of the highest payrolls in the league. Beal, John Wall, Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre are all reportedly on the trade block as the team looks to shed salary and rebuild.
It's unclear what Charlotte could offer Washington that would entice them to trade Beal, but if draft picks and serviceable young players are included, you can probably assume that the Wizards will be listening.
