The Washington Wizards drafted Bradley Beal on his birthday in 2012, a serendipitous fact that long-standing members of the organization mention to this day.
The Wizards and their franchise player retain a bond that has stuck through early injury issues in his career, the unfortunate derailing of star teammate John Wall due to injury and the failed Russell Westbrook experiment, among other misadventures.
华盛顿奇才队在布拉德利·比尔2012年生日那天选中了他，这位目前待在奇才队中最久的成员至今仍会谈起这个偶然事实。
这让奇才队和他们的当家球星之间保留了一种缘分，即使他们经历了早期的伤病问题，明星队友约翰·沃尔因伤病不幸离队，以及威少实验失败等不幸。
Washington is relying on that bond as it evaluates its options for the Feb. 10 trade deadline before what likely will be Beal's first foray into unrestricted free agency.
Beal has made it clear he doesn't plan to sign an extension and likely will skip his player option. That would make some teams nervous, but to this point there has been no real discussion of Beal on the trade market, league executives said.
The Wizards are preparing to roll the dice with the belief that Beal will re-sign.
Washington isn't the only franchise measuring risk before Feb. 10. League executives and agents are approaching this trade season as a referendum on risk tolerance. A number of teams are sitting on the fence, with major decisions surrounding star players looming less than a month before the deadline.
华盛顿在2月10日交易截止日期前，必须要考虑的一个问题是，该截止日期可能是比尔首次成为不受限制的自由球员。
比尔已经明确表示，他不打算续约，可能会跳过他的球员选项。联盟高管表示，这将让一些球队感到紧张，但到目前为止，比尔还没有在球员市场上进行真正的讨论。
奇才队打算赌，赌比尔会和他们续约。
华盛顿并不是2月之前唯一一支存在风险的球队。联盟高管和经纪人将在这个交易季为自己的球队和球员找到更好的出入。围绕明星球员的重大决定的截止日期不到一个月。
Washington Wizards
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, general manager Tommy Sheppard and Beal have a trust level and stay in communication. Beal was part of the decision to trade Westbrook last summer and was a lead recruiter in bringing in free agent Spencer Dinwiddie, team sources said. Beal and his family have forged a close relationship with new teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Washington has another significant advantage.
A primary reason Beal isn't extending now is because with such a contract he could fashion a four-year deal worth $181 million. If he opts out and signs a totally new agreement, the Wizards can offer five years and $241 million. If he were to leave to go to another team this summer, his max deal would be four years and $179 million.
In short: If Beal is prioritizing guaranteed money, he has a $60 million incentive to stay.
华盛顿奇才队
奇才队老板泰德·莱昂西斯、总经理汤米·谢帕德很信任比尔，并保持沟通。球队内部人士称，比尔是去年夏天交易威少决定的一部分，也是引进自由球员丁威迪的主要招聘人员。比尔和他的家人与新队友波普建立了密切的关系。
华盛顿还有另一个重大优势。
比尔如果现在续约的话，他可以达成价值1.81亿的四年合同。如果他选择跳出合同，奇才队可以提供五年2.41亿。如果他今年夏天离开去另一支球队，他的最高交易将是四年1.79亿美元。
简而言之：如果比尔优先考虑续约，他可以多拿6000万。
That reality and the team's apparent willingness to eventually present a full five-year offer has led to a measure of calm within the organization about Beal's intentions. However, that does not mean there isn't risk to manage.
The Wizards started 13-7 but are just 10-14 since. They've improved since last season when they ended up with the No. 8 seed, but their positioning has slipped in a tougher Eastern Conference. They're a team that might be able to use a boost at the deadline -- and Beal could be watching.
"I've contributed to being here. I've committed to being here twice," Beal said in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports. "Now, I want to see that commitment to me, as well, that we can create a winning team here, a winning environment here."
这一现实以及球队愿意提供为期五年的完整报价，使球队内部对比尔的最终决定保持一定程度的信心。然而，这并不意味着没有风险。
奇才队以13-7的战绩开局，但从那之后的24场只赢了10场。自上个赛季最终获得第8名以来，他们有所改善，但在更艰难的东部中，他们的排名有所下降。他们是一个可能在截止日期前寻找交易来进行补强的球队——比尔可能也在观望。
“我在这里做出了贡献。比尔最近在接受雅虎体育采访时说：“我已经承诺在这里续约两次。”现在，我也想看到球队对我的承诺，我们可以在这里创建一个赢球的团队，在这里创建一个赢球的环境。
Center Thomas Bryant has just returned after a yearlong recovery from a torn ACL to provide depth at center. As a result, rival executives believe the Wizards might entertain trading Montrezl Harrell as they look for help elsewhere.
The Wizards owe a protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which limits their trading options, but they could modify it and have two first-round picks to trade. But without Beal under contract, that is a risk.
The Wizards are only $1.7 million under the luxury tax, meaning a trade that takes on money would cause some pause. But remaining inactive at the deadline to avoid the tax might send another message to Beal.
中锋托马斯·布莱恩特因前交叉韧带撕裂休养一年，如今刚刚回来，以提供内线深度。因此，其他球队管理层认为，奇才队可能会寻求关于蒙特雷兹尔·哈雷尔的交易。
奇才队将受保护的第一轮选秀权送给了俄克拉荷马城雷霆队，这拉低了他们的交易容错率，但他们可以用后年第一轮选秀权进行交易。但如果比尔没有续约，那就是一种风险。
奇才队距离奢侈税只有170万美元，这意味着他们在薪金上需要去做一些平衡。但在截止日期前不做为以避免纳税可能会向比尔提供一个不利于自己的信息。
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers have been looking at the same hand for months, as president Daryl Morey hasn't seen a trade he liked for the disgruntled Ben Simmons. They are a good team and have been playing better of late, but they are not the great team they were last season when they earned the No. 1 seed in the East with Simmons playing.
Joel Embiid is having another spectacular season, and over the weekend he pointed out the Sixers were 21-9 (now 22-10) with him in the lineup. They are 9-2 since Christmas. For now, Embiid is sending the message that he isn't itching for a Simmons trade to bring him help for the playoffs.
费城76人队
几个月来，76人队一直没有交易掉西蒙斯，因为莫狗没有看到他喜欢的关于心怀不满的本·西蒙斯的交易。他们是一支好球队，最近打得更好，但他们不是上个赛季有西蒙斯并赢得东部第一的伟大球队。
恩比德正在经历另一个壮观的赛季，他上场的比赛76人打出了以21-9（现在22-10）的战绩。他们在圣诞节后的11场赢了9场。目前，恩比德正在传达一个信息，即他不渴望西蒙斯的交易为他带来季后赛的帮助。
"There's really no urgency to change anything. I think we got everything we need," Embiid said last week. "We're gonna keep on going, and I'm happy."
Here is the risky decision facing Philly: either wait out the Simmons market and don't import potential help for Embiid, or make a trade that doesn't bring back an All-Star but still takes advantage of what so far has been a healthy and productive Embiid season.
Embiid's mood on the matter and the support of owner Joshua Harris -- who has made sudden pivots away from patience in the past and is paying the luxury tax this season for a team he thought would be a title contender -- are variables to monitor in the coming weeks.
“真的不用着急改变任何事情。我认为我们得到了我们需要的一切，”恩比德上周说。我们会继续前进，我很高兴。
费城面临的风险决定是：要么等待更好的筹码再交易西蒙斯，不为恩比德增加潜在帮助，要么交易非全明星球员，但仍然利用迄今为止健康且高效的恩比德。
恩比德在这个问题上的看法得到了老板Joshua Harris的支持——他过去失去了耐心，本赛季愿意为了夺冠去交奢侈税。
Utah Jazz
The Jazz have the No. 1 offense in the league by a relative mile, and before star defender Rudy Gobert went into the health and safety protocols earlier this month, they had the No. 5 defense. They have all the hallmarks of a championship contender, especially in superstar wing Donovan Mitchell.
But the past few weeks have seen some angst within the team. The defense collapsed with Gobert out, ranking 29th in the span, and a series of passive-aggressive actions in interviews and social media have followed.
Gobert and Mitchell have a history of tension that seems to have been inflamed, especially after Gobert praised the defensive intensity of Mitchell rival Devin Booker. It got to the point at which Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson issued a statement/plea for everyone to stop talking about one another and start playing defense.
爵士队这赛季进攻效率排名第一，在本月早些时候，鲁迪·戈贝尔进入健康和安全协议之前，他们防守排名第五。他们拥有冠军竞争者的所有特征，特别是拥有明星后卫多诺万·米切尔。
但在过去几周里，球队内部出现了一些焦虑。防守崩溃了，戈贝尔离开的几场比赛，爵士的防守排名第29位，随后在网络上受到球迷的质疑。
戈贝尔和米切尔的关系似乎也变得紧张，特别是在戈贝尔赞扬米切尔的竞争对手德文布克的防守强度之后。爵士后卫乔丹·克拉克森发表了一份声明，恳求大家停止谈论对方，开始防守。
The Jazz have subsequently been poking around the market for wing defenders, sources said, as new CEO Danny Ainge might have a big decision to make. The Jazz are good enough on paper to win the West, but the demands on Gobert in the playoffs are immense, which contributed to a deeply disappointing loss to the LA Clippers in the postseason last year despite Clippers star Kawhi Leonard suffering a partially torn ACL.
The risk for Utah: trade away some of the offensive talent to help Gobert and turn down the heat between him and Mitchell, or ride out the quality team it built and hope the defense is good enough under pressure.
"They're seeing if they can find their own Aaron Gordon trade," a rival general manager said, referring to the move the Denver Nuggets made to pick up the versatile defender from the Orlando Magic before last season's trade deadline. "I'm not sure if they'll find it."
消息人士称，爵士队一直在寻找防守好的前锋，因为新任球队经理丹尼·安吉可能会做出重大决定。虽然爵士队在纸面实力上可以赢任何西部球队，但在季后赛中对戈伯特的要求是巨大的。去年尽管快船队失去了伦纳德，但爵士还是输给了洛杉矶快船队，令人深感失望。
犹他州的风险：增加一些进攻天赋来帮助戈贝尔，为米切尔分担得分压力，或者建立一个防守更好的优质团队。
一位其他球队的总经理说，他们正在尝试得到掘金队的阿隆戈登。我不确定他们是否能得到他。
The player who most closely resembles that who might be available is Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, but the Jazz might not be able to win a bidding contest if it comes to that. The Jazz have limited draft picks to offer in a deal -- they already owe two future first-rounders and four second-rounders elsewhere over the next five years -- and they lack attractive young talent.
Joe Ingles, who has played all eight of his NBA seasons for the Jazz, is well aware of this front-office conundrum and is mentally preparing for the unknown of deadline season. He's in the final year of his contract, was in trade talks last offseason and has seen his numbers drop this year.
"If they decide they need to do something I would be happy for them if they thought they were getting better. I do love this organization and the city. We're all here for the same reason -- we're here to try to win a championship and be the first [Jazz] team to do it," Ingles said on his weekly radio appearance in Salt Lake City this month. "If I could be a piece that helps them do that, then I'd still feel pretty good about it. I'd be disappointed that I wasn't here for it, but I'd be happy for a lot of people."
Bojan Bogdanovic is two years younger than Ingles, is having another excellent season and has one year left on his deal. This makes him more attractive in a trade.
With the roster aging -- Ingles is 34, Bogdanovic is soon to be 33 and guard Mike Conley is 34 -- and the simmering Gobert-Mitchell dynamic, it might not be time to wait and see in Utah.
他们最想得到的是底特律活塞队前锋杰拉米·格兰特，但爵士队可能无法和其他球队去竞争他。爵士队在一笔交易中能提供的选秀权有限——在未来五年的选秀权中，他们已经送出了两个首轮和四个次轮——而且他们缺乏有吸引力的年轻人。
英格尔斯为爵士队效力了所有八个赛季，他非常清楚目前球队的困难，并做好了在交易截止日期被交易的准备。他已进入合同的最后一年，上个休赛期没有和球队提前续约，今年他的数据有所下降。
“如果他们决定需要做点什么，如果他们认为自己正在好转，我会为他们高兴的。我确实喜欢这个球队和这个城市。英格尔斯本月在盐湖城的每周电台采访时说：“我们都在这里的原因相同——我们在这里是为了赢得冠军，并为爵士赢得第一座总冠军。”“如果我能成为帮助他们做到这一点的人，那么我仍然会对此感到高兴。但我会为我不是帮助球队夺得冠军中的一员而感到失望，但我会为他们感到高兴的。”
博格达诺维奇比英格尔斯小两岁，又有一个出色的赛季，他的合同明年到期。这让他在球队中更具吸引力。
随着球队的老化——英格尔斯34岁，博格达诺维奇即将33岁，迈克·康利34岁——以及戈伯特和米切尔之间的微妙关系，可能爵士需要作出一些改变了。