The Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal openly told the world that he will be testing the waters of free agency in June 2023 after he finishes out the final year of his contract with the Wizards.
Beal is eligible to sign a max extension which will kick in next season or become a free agent in the 2023 offseason. The coveted scorer did not rule out a return to the Wizards, but, he explained that winning will play a big part in his decision.
“I know what my decision will be based off of, and that’s gonna be where I feel like I can win,” Beal said. “That’s going to be my decision. If I feel like I can win in D.C., that’s what I’m gonna do, and I want people to respect that. You may, or you may not, but I’m gonna work my ass off, and I’m gonna compete and I wanna make this team better.”
Beal spoke at length with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report about his impeding free agency. He will be up for a 4-year, $242 million extension in the summer of 2023. If he decides to leave Washington, the rest of the NBA can offer him up to $179M.
Winning is not part of the Wizards’ culture since John Wall went down with multiple serious injuries. Since the 2017-18 season, Washington made the playoff once. The franchise made moves to build a winning squad around the scoring guard.
The moved Russell Westbrook for a group of role players with championship pedigree like Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but signed Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie to overpriced contracts in the past free agency.
Dinwiddie never fit the mold in Washington and was shipped alongside Bertans to the Dallas Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis has been unable to stay on the court for constantly due to injuries, but, he can be the secondary star the Wizards need if healthy.
Moreover, the franchise has multiple young players who can make a leap next season and add more wins to the Wizards’ record. Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, and Deni Avdija are expected to have bigger roles next season.
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