Knicks 'internally discussed' trading for three-time All-Star

Begley notes that Beal was just "one of the high-profile shooting guards" that the Knicks had in mind. There's a good chance that Chicago's Zach LaVine, a player linked to them at the trade deadline, and Boston's Jaylen Brown were also options discussed.

Although, since neither LaVine nor Brown are said to be available at the moment, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Knicks make a push for Beal. But if Beal is the star that Knicks president Leon Rose decides to sell the farm for, the question becomes whether the 29-year-old is worth the price.

Beal just wrapped up the first season of his five-year, $251M deal, which saw him average 23.2 points and 5.4 assists per game. Various injuries, most notably a hamstring strain, limited him to just 50 games last season and 90 total in the last two years. 

While it may seem illogical for the Knicks to surrender draft capital and pieces of their young core for these reasons, the three-time All-Star may not yield a superstar-level return. 

Speaking on "Keyshawn, JWill and Max," ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggested Beal could come at a discount caused by last offseason's Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades effect on the market. 

"I'm going to tell you if Bradley Beal gets traded between now and next Thursday, I think people are going to be very surprised at the price, and how potentially low it's going to be," Windhorst said. "... I suspect if he gets traded, it would be for a fraction of that [what Mitchell and Gobert were traded for]." 

The lucrative contract and injury concerns will be fans' biggest gripe with a potential Beal trade, which is entirely understandable. However, it's a necessary cost if the Knicks aim to build on a promising season and establish themselves as a contender.