3 silver linings to a lost Washington Wizards season

Bradley Beal’s extension/overall season

Chronologically, the first wave of good news for Wizards fans (and the front office) was Bradley Beal agreeing to an extension with the team back in mid-October. For two years and $72-million, Washington retained their best active player for another two years.

It came as a wave of relief, mostly in part due to the trade rumors that were rapidly swirling the Wizards’ star shooting guard. Teams like the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets have been mentioned the most as potential destinations.

Beal silenced the suitors in one fell swoop and continued to avoid trade rumors by verbally committing to the Wizards for seemingly the rest of his career. And it only got better from there.

Washington’s star guard has put on an absolute MVP-esque campaign this season. Beal’s averaging 30.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Per Basketball Reference, he joins James Harden as the only two players to average 30+ points and 6+ assists this season, minimum 50 games played. Beal has been on an absolute tear, providing hope not only for next year, but for Washington’s free agency aspirations.

And while the Wizards have certainly qualified as a bad team, a lot of bad teams don’t have the luxury of watching a player of Beal’s caliber nightly. Teams like the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, or Sacramento Kings haven’t had a player of his caliber in years but have suffered yearly.