It didn’t take long, but Bradley Beal is returning to the Washington Wizards. Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251 million max deal to stay put with Washington, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Beal opted out of a $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season to become a free agent. However, it was widely expected he did so to ink the supermax deal with the only team he has played for.
The $251 million Beal will receive is the second largest contract value in NBA history. Only two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has garnered a larger deal, and Jokic agreed to his $264 million deal just moments before Beal’s was announced.
The 28-year old Beal has spent 10 seasons in Washington. The new deal will keep him under contract through the 2027-2028 season.
Beal is the second all-time in points scored in Wizards franchise history. After back-to-back seasons averaging at least 30 points per game, Beal dipped to 23.2 points during the 2021-22 season. His season was cut short after 40 games due to a wrist injury.
But it’s clear Beal is the cornerstone of the Wizards, moving forward. Washington acquired Monte Morris and Will Barton in a trade from the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The Wizards also added combo guard Johnny Davis in last week’s NBA draft out of Wisconsin.
Other players surrounding Beal for next season include Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert.
Beal had previously stated he was looking for a chance to win. The Wizards have not in recent years, failing to win at least 40 games in each of the past four seasons. Their slump coincides with the Achilles injury that sidelined Beal’s former running mate, John Wall.
But he has previously expressed the desire to remain with the Wizards for the entirety of his career, referencing he wants to be the franchise’s Dirk Nowitzki.
Following Wall’s departure, Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard has tried to patch a roster surrounding Beal. But the team faced rumors of Beal’s own potential departure. Now with Beal locked in five more years, Sheppard can move forward with Beal cemented as the centerpiece of the franchise.
