Account
NBA Rumors: Wizards Operating as Bradley Beal Will Re-Sign When Contract Expires
May 31, 2020
Not only did Bradley Beal sign a contract extension with the Washington Wizards last October, he plans to stick with the team beyond 2021-22 when he can next become a free agent.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, any trade involving Beal is "not going to happen" in the immediate future.
"Beal is telling the Wizards the same things he's telling the public," Katz explained. "And after he signed an extension less than a year ago, Washington is not operating as if he's gone when this contract expires."
Beal continues to praise the organization that he's played for throughout his seven-year NBA career.
"If I can, 100%, I'd die in that Wizards jersey," the guard said February 2019, via Dunk Bait.
The two-time All-Star lived up to his end of the bargain before the season by signing a two-year max extension that gave him a player option for the 2022-23 season.
He still remains a trade target for other teams considering his production—he currently ranks second in the NBA with 30.5 points per game in 2019-20—and the team's 24-40 struggles.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported the Brooklyn Nets have discussed acquiring Beal in a trade to pair with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Beal responded to that rumor by saying he still wanted to remain in Washington, via Jackie MacMullan of ESPN:
"That's an unbelievable feeling. When you hear that Kyrie [Irving] and KD [Kevin Durant] want you, s--t, that's amazing. At the same time, you don't know how much there is to it, or how easy it would be to do. And I've put down roots in D.C. I've dedicated myself to this town, this community. I love it here, and it would feel great to know I could grind out winning here instead of jumping to another team."
The Wizards are heading toward their second straight losing season, but things could turn around once John Wall returns from the Achilles injury that has kept him out since December 2018.