Bradley Beal Stays Put, Agrees To A 2 Year Extension With The Washington Wizards

By Jordan Long

The Washington Wizards season starts on October 23^rd when they travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks.  Washington decided it was time to extend the contract of shooting guard Bradley Beal.  Beal’s extension is 2-years, worth $72 million but won’t kick in until the start of the 2021 season.

                Beal has spent his whole career with the Wizards since they drafted him 3^rd overall in the 2012 draft.  He has shown growth at the NBA level each year.  Last season was his best as a pro, averaging a career high 25.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game.  The 25.6 points were the most on the team and ranked 11^th in the NBA.  With his offense, though, the Wizards went 32-50, missing the playoffs by 9 games.   

                Going into this year, Beal was under contract for 2 more years.  He was not scheduled to be a free agent until the end of the 2021 season.  The Wizards know what kind of player he is and didn’t want to risk losing him.  Beal’s game is going to continue to grow at the NBA level.

                This new agreement means Beal will not be a free agent until 2023.  It has a player option for 2022. According to ESPN, if Beal declines the option in 2022 and re-signs with the Wizards, he is eligible to sign one of the largest contracts in NBA history which would be 5 years, worth $266 million.

                For now, Beal can focus on helping the Wizards reach the postseason and improve his game even more. The last time Washington  made the NBA playoffs was 2018.  That season Washington was the 8^th seed and faced the Toronto Raptors.  Toronto knocked them off in 6 games.  Beal hopes to lead this team to the NBA title for the 1^st time since 1978.