Wizards' Bradley Beal Clears Health Protocols; Day-to-Day With Non-COVID Illness
The Washington Wizards announced Monday that Bradley Beal has left the NBA's health and safety protocols and is day-to-day with a non-COVID illness.
Ahead of Monday's preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Wizards said they placed Beal into the protocols.
The three-time All-Star is coming off an offseason that significantly shaped his future and that of the Wizards. He signed a five-year, $251 million supermax extension that included a no-trade clause.
Washington still has some way to go to become a title contender, but giving Beal that kind of deal showed the organization wants to keep pushing for the playoffs for the foreseeable future.
Those postseason hopes will hinge firmly on Beal's health and performance. Even if Kristaps Porzingis enjoys a return to form in his first full season in the nation's capital, the Wizards don't have many other players who can shoulder a heavy scoring burden.
Beal and Porzingis both averaged 20-plus points per game in 2021-22. Kyle Kuzma (17.1 points) was the next highest scorer on the team.
Two games separated the sixth-place Chicago Bulls from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets, who fell into the play-in tournament. A top-six challenge is probably a bridge too far for this Washington squad anyway, and losing Beal for any stretch of time makes that task even more difficult.
