Washington Wizards All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal has agreed to extend his deal for two years on a $72 million maximum contract, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal will include a player option for the 2022-23 season, making its total value a comprised four years, for approximately $130 million.
Beal's extension will begin with the 2021-22 season, will effectively keep him out of free agency for three more seasons. Assuming the 26-year-old declines his player option as he reaches 10 years of NBA service, he would become eligible to sign the largest contract in NBA history in 2022: a whopping five years for $266 million.
Beal could also opt to sign a four-year, $198 million deal with a new team, still a hefty figure that would pay him roughly $49.5 million per year, already $9.3 million more than the highest-paid player in the league today, Stephen Curry.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was thought to be the most valuable potential trade piece, especially for contenders hoping to add one more weapon at the deadline to swing for a championship run. Now that No. 1 target is off the market for three more years.
“This was a long process that really covered the entire summer and fall, including numerous conversations and meetings among Ted, Tommy, myself and Brad,” Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN. “This was probably going to be the most important decision that Brad was going to make in his career and we wanted to give Ted and Tommy every opportunity to present their vision for the franchise. And they've genuinely done a wonderful job of getting Brad excited about the future and how they plan to build the Wizards team around him.
“Brad has always made it clear to me, that in a perfect world, he would never leave Washington. He has felt an obligation to be the focal point in turning the Wizards into an elite team. He's thrilled about all the resources that Ted is pouring into the franchise and thrilled how committed (Leonsis) and Tommy are to building something special.”
The Wizards have reshaped their front office at the wake of firing longtime president Ernie Grunfeld, putting a man of trust in GM Tommy Sheppard and now willing to shape this roster around Beal instead of John Wall, who will likely miss the entire 2019-20 season with a major injury.
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