PHILADELPHIA — Bradley Beal has been around long enough to understand how the NBA rumor mill works. For the past few years, from the moment he ascended to the ranks of the game’s elite players, he’s seen his name in tweets, headlines and on talk shows — all speculating whether the all-star guard will be eventually traded. The conversation isn’t new by any means.
So, Beal likely knew what he was doing Wednesday when he declined to outright say whether he wanted to stay with the Washington Wizards for the long term.
He had to grasp the attention that his comments would bring.