With James Harden trade rumors presently in hibernation, Bradley Beal has become the NBA’s juiciest transaction-related possibility, in part because he might also be its most electric attraction.
Unlike Harden, Beal has not been publicly frustrated enough to demand a trade, either through words or actions. In October, the ever-loyal franchise centerpiece said staying in Washington, D.C., for his entire career “would mean the world.” But as he stacks one show-stopping performance on top of another—Monday night, in a win against Phoenix, Beal became the fourth player in 45 years to score at least 25 points in the opening 10 games of a season—a breaking point seems inevitable.