The Washington Wizards are fading at the end of the season, as a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference. They are 4.5 games behind the 10th place Atlanta Hawks with only 12 games to play, so it is more than likely they will be heading for the lottery.
While the postseason is a long shot, the rest of this season is important for Washington. They need to do all that they can to convince Bradley Beal that this is where he should stay for the long term.
Beal is likely going to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, as he has a player option for the 2022-23 season. He will likely decline that option and look to secure a long-term, max contract.
The Wizards and their fans are hoping that he re-signs with them, but no one ever knows how free agency will turn out. Until a pen is put to paper on a contract, there is always a chance that something can change at the last second.
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For now, however, it sounds like the two sides will stick together for the foreseeable future. According to The Athletic, Beal is leaning toward staying with the team and Washington is more than willing to offer a max contract.
“Now, Beal remains with the Wizards and recently said he is leaning toward re-signing with the team in July free agency. The two-time All-Star is eligible for a five-year, $245.6 million maximum contract, an offer Washington is committed to making.”
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Given how much the two sides seem to communicate, there is a chance that a more team-friendly deal could be worked out. Beal has been adamant in his stance that he wants to play for a winning team and needs to be shown by the Washington Wizards that they can build a winning roster around him.
If that means taking a little less money, providing flexibility for the front office to build up the roster, it is something the two sides can work out. Bringing Kristaps Porzingis into the fold ahead of the trade deadline was a low-risk, high-reward scenario because the players they sent to the Dallas Mavericks in Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans were not working out.
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Beal is missing the remainder of the season because of a wrist injury, which killed their playoff hopes. But, seeing players such as Kyle Kuzma and Porzingis play well would go a long way in convincing Beal this is a place in which he can win.