One of the most contractually discussed players in the entire league is Bradley Beal, 27-year-old Washington Wizards guard. Although the franchise of the capital has not obtained such encouraging results in recent seasons, Beal has never publicly expressed his willingness to play elsewhere, contrary to what many of his colleagues have done: this leaves us in a state of uncertainty, given that the three-time all-star has often been courted by several suitors ready to put important pieces on the table to trade, yet Beal has always shown a certain attachment to the team that chose him with the number three in the 2012 draft.
Also this year the Wizards offseason will focus on Beal’s salary situation: as reported by Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Washington guard will be eligible for a rather onerous contract extension. The time limit within which to have to make this decision, again according to what Marks said, should be next autumn.
So what are the possible scenarios for a possible agreement between Bradley Beal and the Wizards? The options, at the moment, seem to be two: the first is to sign a four-year from 181.5 million totals this summer, the second instead to sign a five-year from 235 million next summer. The latter option is possible because, next season, Beal will reach his tenth year of service in the league that would qualify him to receive 35% of the total salary cap. In both cases, while signing on one of these two conditions, the contract just signed would take over only in 2022.
This can be deduced from the fact that Beal has already signed a contractual extension on 17 October 2019. This extension will keep him under contract at around 34 million for the next 2021/22 season, while for the following year there is a player option worth 37 million.
A third way forward could be a shorter contract that guarantees flexibility to both parties. Nevertheless, before thinking about the Beal issue, the Wizards will have to face a crucial free agency: the permanence of the second best scorer of the year could perhaps depend on future market moves.
