Bradley Beal believes he's a max contract player.
The 22-year-old Washington Wizards guard is due to hit free agency this summer. As he enters his first offseason as a free agent, he has made it clear that he's a max-contract level player, via the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo:
“I want to be valued the right way. I feel like I'm a max player and that's what I'm looking for. If Washington can't meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that they probably won't (let me go). At the end of the day, that's where I want to be. I think a deal will probably get done but you just never know.”
Beal's value may have taken a little bit of a hit due to the Wizards' struggles entering the free agency market in 2016. The four-year guard turned down a contract extension early in the 2015-16 season so he could make more money in free agency. With the salary cap increasing to $92 million, it is still possible a team could hand Beal a max-level contract.
Although other backcourt tandems across the league played better than the Wizards' duo this season, both John Wall and Beal still had strong individual seasons. Beal averaged 17.4 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field in 2015-16.
The question isn't so much his production. It's moreso centered on his durability and leadership skills. The University of Florida product has missed at least 19 games during three of his first four seasons in the league. He was limited to just 55 games this past season as he continued to struggle with a stress reaction in his right fibula.
Despite the injury concerns, Beal stated that it's a thing of the past for him:
“I hear about it all the time, but that doesn't define me as a player,” Beal said of his past injuries. “That won't stop me from growing as a player and it won't stop me from being who I am. The injury thing, that's behind me. I'm moving forward. I'm past it. I'm focused on my career from here on out.”
We will see if the Wizards feel the same as they attempt to re-sign their star guard in July.
[button width=”full” button size=”bigger” color=”custom” align=”center” textcolor=”#ffffff” texthcolor=”#ffffff” bgcolor=”#8b0000″ link=”https://clutchpoints.com/courtney-lee-wants-return-hornets-next-season/”]NEXT: Courtney Lee wants to return to Hornets next season[/button]
Follow Us
Subscribe