Bradley Beal Rumors: Wizards Star Eyeing Full 5-Year Max Contract Extension

Bradley Beal is reportedly looking for a maximum contract with his 2022-23 player option looming.

"He has turned down a contract extension because he wants, from what I am told, a full five-year max," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during Monday's episode of NBA Today (2:35 mark). "That would be a ... 70 or so million dollar difference between what the [Washington] Wizards could sign him for" compared to another team.

Beal is one of the most interesting case studies ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

The Wizards can likely net quite the return if they elect to move him, and one would think they at least have to entertain the notion since they are 24-29 and not even in position to qualify for the play-in tournament if the season ended Monday.

Washington is not a legitimate contender with or without Beal on the roster and could accelerate a potential rebuild with a trade and not have to worry about giving him such a pricey contract.

However, the Wizards could also choose to keep him and either make a late push this season or look ahead to the 2022-23 campaign and beyond. After all, he is just 28 years old and was an All-NBA third-team selection last season.

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reported in October that the team offered him a four-year, $181.5 million extension. However, Hughes also noted another option would be for Beal to become a free agent after the season and then re-sign with the Wizards for five years and approximately $235 million.

The latest from Windhorst suggests the shooting guard is interested in that avenue, and that type of clarity could help the front office in any decision-making process with Thursday approaching.

For the season, Beal is averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range. It is a drop-off after he averaged 31.3 points per game and shot 34.9 percent from deep last season, but he is still capable of taking over a game on the offensive end when playing at his best.

That type of scoring ability is surely intriguing for contenders looking to make a move, and the Beal discussions will likely remain a major storyline this week.