Bradley Beal leans towards resigning with the Wizards

Bradley Beal revealed his plans ahead of his potential free agency next summer. Beal could become an unrestricted free agent in the coming offseason, if he does not pick his $36.4 million option.

When asked about his free-agency decision on Wednesday, the three-time NBA All Star shared that he plans to re-sign with Washington when that time arrives, per the Wizards’ insider Chase Hughes.

Bradley Beal when asked if it's fair to say he's leaning towards re-signing: "That's fair, that's fair." — Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) March 3, 2022

The All-Star guard was forced to undergo a season-ending injury to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. He had been through many ups and downs during this season with his left wrist bothering him.

This year, he averaged 23.2 points and 6.6 assists per game through 40 contests. His season started with several rumors suggesting that he may leave a struggling Washington franchise.

However, he repeatedly expressed his loyalty despite the shortcomings of the franchise. The Wizards stand at 28-33 as the 11th seed, one game behind the 10th place, which leads to the play-in tournament.

In his first media appearance since his surgery, Beal claimed he sees him not playing for the rest of the season as an opportunity to assess his future. However, he stated he’s frustrated that he will not complete the season.

Bradley Beal says he considers his 2021-22 as an "up-and-down" year and "incomplete." He's frustrated he only got to play 40 games and wishes he could still be out there to finish it out. — Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) March 3, 2022

The Wizards had a promising start in the 2021-22 regular season, as they won 10 of their first 15 games. Injuries and COVID-19 derailed the team, which only won 18 games since Nov. 19.

Beal will reach 10 years of service time July 1, which will allow him to sign for 35% ($42.35MM) of the projected $121MM salary cap for 2022/23, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports.

Beal will be eligible to sign a $246M deal with Washington, if he declines the 2022-23 player option on his current contract. The Wizard are hoping to be able to keep their superstar and build around.

They already traded for a potential second-tier team star. They acquired Kristaps Porzingis via trade in the deadline to add more offensive power around Beal.

“Just imagine him and Gaff out there. That’s going to be sick. Then, you’ve got Kuz at 6’9, 6-10. We’ve got great size. We’ve never had that,” Beal said.

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