3. Bradley Beal: Trade or extend?
The Washington Wizards made one final offer this offseason, but it was not to a free agent. Though he has two years remaining on his contract, they offered star shooting guard Bradley Beal a max three-year, $111 million extension.
With Bradley Beal eligible for a three-year, $111M extension on Friday, Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard tells ESPN: "At the very first moment allowed, we are going to offer Brad the full max..." Story includes reaction from Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein. https://t.co/aJS5JvRak1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 22, 2019
Beal may not sign an extension because he could become eligible to sign the highly coveted supermax deal should he earn an All-NBA selection.
In addition to the max contract offer there were a lot of trade rumors surrounding Beal this offseason, though general manager Tommy Sheppard brushed off the rumors in a wide-ranging interview with Ben Standig of The Athletic (subscription required).
Without Beal, the Wizards would become the bottom feeders of the league, which is why trading the All-Star in not the solution.
Last season Beal stepped up and became the star of the team. He tallied career-highs with 25.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds while leading the league with 36.9 minutes per game.
Without John Wall, Beal took a step forward in his ballhandling ability. He consistently ran the pick-and-roll and played some point guard when he was not playing his standard shooting guard spot.
Will Beal’s contract situation get resolved during this season? Probably not. Could his play earn him an All-NBA selection and thus make him eligible for the supermax? This is very possible.
The Wizards could also be offering him the max now before he can earn the supermax in order to get him at a discounted price, but by not accepting the team’s offer, Beal will bank on his play this season.
While Beal could make a lot of news this season, it seems most likely that Beal’s year will be drama-free, with no trade or extension.