Much has been made about the future of Wizards star Bradley Beal. As one of the best shooters/scorers in the NBA, he’d be a great fit for pretty much any team, and his presence might even put a few over the top.
As trade rumors including his name continue to fly, no word yet has been shared on if Beal or the Wizards are open to a split.
But in an appearance on “The Old Man & The Three” podcast, the 2x All-Star indicated that he signed his most recent contract for the sake of having flexibility if his team wasn’t in a position to win, leading some to believe he could be gone if the Washington Wizards don’t succeed next season.
(via The Old Man & The Three)
It was more or less, do I want to have something built around me? And I had that opportunity to do it here. Or do I kind of want to test the waters? And that’s kind of what made me do so.
But I signed my deal and kind of structured it to where I had some flexibility, because, at the end of the day, I still want to win. And the organization has to show me that we want to win. I want to see what John’s like, as well. So, there’s always going to be hope in that direction.
But you still want to be able to protect yourself and kind of be selfish in that regard. How can I create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning, if I do choose to get out.
Beal, 27, is coming off his best season as a pro, with averages of 30.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game on 45.5% shooting. With John Wall set to return from injury next season, things could be looking up for the Wizards, who are desperate to turn things around and keep both of their stars long-term.
The team has not made the playoffs since 2018, when they lost in the Eastern Conference First Round.
