It has been more than two months since the Washington Wizards offered Bradley Beal a three-year, $111 million contract extension. The Wizards made the move with the hope that they could stop the rumors surrounding the All-Star shooting guard. Unfortunately, the rumors just heated up when Beal said that he would be needing to take some time to decide whether he will be signing a contract extension with the Wizards or test the free agency market in the summer of 2021.
In an appearance on The Lowe Post podcast, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN discussed the rumors swirling around Bradley Beal and his future with the Wizards. Though there are only a few days left before the October 21 deadline, Wojnarowski revealed that the Wizards remain very optimistic that Beal would be signing the contract extension.
“Bradley Beal has two years left on his deal and the Wizards have not given up hope on signing him to an extension,” Wojnarowski said, as quoted by RealGM . “They have had a three-year, $111 million extension on the table for him to take in any form. Does he want two years? Three years? Any form he wants. They’re waiting for him. They are nowhere near the idea of moving Bradley Beal.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IXnOtSpJRc
If Bradley Beal and the Wizards fail to reach an agreement regarding a contract extension before the October 21 deadline, most people see the All-Star shooting guard becoming available on the trade market before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. If ever that happens, Wojnarowski said that he is highly expecting the Wizards to receive an “absolute ransom” for trading their best player.
“If he got on the market would bring back an absolute ransom because if you want to improve your team in a dramatic way, he’d be the guy.”
It would definitely be not a surprise if the Wizards get intriguing offers for Bradley Beal. Beal is currently in his prime, and he’s one of the few NBA superstars in the league who can excel in an off-ball capacity. Last season, the 26-year-old shooting guard averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.5 percent from the field, and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. Adding him to an NBA team with one or two legitimate superstars would undeniably boost their chance of contending for the championship.
However, as of now, Wojnarowski revealed that the Wizards haven’t entertained the idea of trading Bradley Beal. Even though they currently don’t have a clear path to title contention, the Wizards are still determined to build around Beal and want to re-sign him whether it’s during or after the 2019-20 NBA season, or in the summer of 2021.