When Wizards guard Bradley Beal finally requests a trade from the Washington Wizards, it will serve as one of the least surprising trade demands from a superstar since Anthony Davis hired Klutch Sports. And for much of the league, it could serve as the final drop that busts the dam open when it comes to trades.

Multiple teams across the league are positioned to make a run at Beal should he become available. Beal, though, hasn’t handled his situation like most superstars in the modern era of the NBA, showing a rare sense of loyalty to the organization that drafted him. First by signing an extension in the fall of 2019, and then by not yet demanding a trade as Washington continues to struggle on the fringes of the playoffs while Beal’s prime years tick away.

Each offseason, Beal’s future comes into question, with a growing sense that a seemingly inevitable trade demand coming. In his defense, Beal has yet to make that call, but seems closer than ever to making the decision to leave Washington.

There is also an informal deadline on Beal’s decision: The 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday. With most of the trade offers the Wizards would receive likely consisting of at least one draft pick this year, Washington would probably want to control the picks to select the players they desire. Draft picks are like cars, they lose half their value when they get taken off the lot.

Let’s get this out of the way: The Lakers will not find themselves in a position to trade for Beal. The franchise exhausted its assets for Anthony Davis — and an NBA title — which will (probably) rule them out of trading for a superstar for years to come. But Beal’s trade request would not just send ripples just through the whole league, but around the rest of the Wizards’ roster as well.

Beal’s future in Washington, for now, is in some ways tied to Russell Westbrook’s. The pairing represents Washington’s only chance at winning in this moment, and if one of them is set to depart, the other will soon follow.

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