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1. Bradley Beal: 5yrs, $251M (Washington Wizards)
Bradley Beal opted out of the final year of his contract last week, leading many on NBA Twitter to speculate if he was going to leave the Washington Wizards in pursuit of a Larry O’Brien trophy. At the start of free agency, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski quelled any of those concerns–at least for now–when he reported Beal and the Wizards agreed to a five-year, $251 million supermax contract.
Coming off a season where he made the All-NBA Third-team, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in 40 games for Washington last season before undergoing season-ending wrist surgery in February.
He hasn’t been efficient from the perimeter in a few years, and it’s not clear how long the wrist was affecting him, but last season he shot a career-low 30 percent from 3-point range. His 53.9 true shooting percentage was well below the league average and his lowest since the 2014-15 season.
He hasn’t proven that he can be the best player on a playoff team, let alone a title team, yet he will be earning north of $40 million per year as he enters the backend of his prime. The Wizards never made it past the second round of the playoffs with Beal on the roster, and in a tough Eastern Conference, don’t expect that to change any time soon.
The Wizard’s fanbase has been tortured by rumors and the uncertainty surrounding their beloved shooting guard’s future. They can finally take a breath and relax, at least for now.
If they don’t start to experience some playoff success soon, expect Beal to wear a different NBA uniform before the end of this contract. Even if, by some miracle, he doesn’t request a trade, this contract will age very poorly, and the Wizards may look to move on anyway.
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