Bradley Beal: 'Fair' to Say I'm Leaning Toward Signing Wizards Contract Extension

Bradley Beal may be done for the season because of a wrist injury, but he apparently doesn't believe he is done playing for the Washington Wizards.

The shooting guard said "that's fair" when asked Thursday whether it was "fair" to suggest he is leaning toward re-signing with the only NBA team he has ever known, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Beal has been with the Wizards since they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft.

He is the face of the franchise, making the All-NBA Third Team last season while averaging a career-best 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

The Florida product took a step back in 2021-22 prior to the injury and averaged 23.2 points a night, although he was more of a facilitator at 6.6 assists per game. Still, his 30.0 percent mark from three-point range was the lowest mark of his career.

Yet the 28-year-old figures to remain in his prime for the immediate future and indicated he believes that prime will continue in Washington.

The Wizards could have traded him prior to the Feb. 10 deadline if they believed he wasn't going to re-sign and perhaps reset the franchise for a rebuilding process, but they chose not to. 

"I know this is news, but he and I have talked about it before and he's said this is where he wants to be," general manager Tommy Sheppard told reporters at the time. "I'm not going to waver from that, but I don't know how many more times I can touch base on this subject. We plan on him being here in the future. If he feels otherwise, I'm sure he'll let me know."

Re-signing with Washington would allow Beal to maximize his next contract, as Andrew Gillis of NBC Sports explained.

If he opts out of the final season of his deal after the 2021-22 campaign ends, he can re-sign for approximately $241 million over the course of five years. However, a max deal with another team would be for approximately $180 million over four years.

That will factor into a decision that could determine Washington's ceiling in 2022-23.