Washington Wizards Must Lock Up Bradley Beal Now, Avoid Drama Later

By Josh Wilson | Jul 13, 2015

May 11, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the fourth quarter in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Hawks won 106-101, and tied the series at 2-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Without a doubt, the Washington Wizards have been bitten by the free agency bug this offseason. In both a positive and negative way, the Wizards heavily felt the impacts of gaining and losing players this year.

Losing Paul Pierce is obviously the negative. He was a huge player for the team, even though he was only around for just one year. He was a great veteran presence, and really gave the Wizards a boost in the playoffs.

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After losing Pierce, the Wizards gained three big free agents, Alan Anderson, Gary Neal, and Jared Dudley (through a trade exemption). These three all add depth to the team, and in some cases help replace what the team lost in Pierce.

It appears that they’re coming to a close with offseason moves this year, but are absolutely looking forward to next year. The biggest notable free agent for next season is Bradley Beal who is in the final year of his rookie contract, scheduled to make $4.7 million. Anyone who has watched Beal and his impact on the team knows that he is worth a lot more than this.

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Beal is looking for an extension, and rightfully so. Even though this year was plagued with injuries for him, he still put up great numbers. Throughout his years as a Wizard he has put up 15.6 points and three assists per game. He’s been a huge part of the backcourt alongside John Wall.

The duo has been incredibly fun to watch as they’ve grown together and built the Wizards into a playoff team.

The Wizards have been willing to give him this extension, but put him on the back burner while this year’s free agency took place. Now, he’s at full attention, and CSN Washington reported that the two parties have begun serious talks about an extension.

It’s very important for the Wizards to get this deal done now, rather than later. Time is of the essence. This year has been proof of how toxic the free agency world can be to teams, all over the NBA. The Wizards lost Paul Pierce, and losing Beal next year could potentially be even worse for them.

Beal has been a Wizard his entire career, and that’s how fans want it, especially at the level he’s playing now.

Outside of Washington, DeAndre Jordan proved just how dramatic the NBA can be even off of the court. A whole fiasco where he gave the Dallas Mavericks his word on a new contract took place, but then changed his mind. It was reported that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was driving around desperately trying to talk to DeAndre, and convince him to change his mind, yet again.

Not a good look for the team or player, and that’s something we’d all like the Wizards to stay away from.

This is not to say that Beal would pull any sort of stunt like DeAndre, but it does add to the idea that free agency is a drama filled, toxic thing to get involved in sometimes. Avoid with big name players at all costs! If the Wizards could lock up Beal now, why would they want to wait?

The good thing is that the Wizards obviously realize this, and that’s why they’ve begun negotiations already. They have until Oct. 31 to get a contract extension signed, which leaves them with more than three months to get something figured out with Beal.

If they are unable to do so, they will have to compete with other teams looking to sign the talented young guard next year. Beal could be swayed by other offers, just like any other free agent. There’s no guarantee that if they wait for free agency that he will come back.

It’s time to pay Beal what he is owed, and it’s time to make sure he’ll be with the Wizards for years to come.

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