Despite turning in the best season of his career, Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal did not make any of the three All-NBA teams, and is thus ineligible to sign a supermax extension this summer:
Well. Wizards dodged a Bradley Beal supermax bullet with his career-year failing to yield a spot on one of the three teams. Beal did finish with the highest point total of any player not to make the prestigious squad.
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) May 23, 2019
Beal played in all 82 games and averaged 25 points, five rebounds and five assists per game on nearly 48 percent shooting from the field and a 35 percent clip from beyond the arc. While John Wall missed over half the season (and will likewise miss half of next year), Beal excelled as Washington's primary playmaker and shot creator.
The former University of Florida product was already signed through the next two seasons, but had he made an All-NBA team, Beal would have been eligible to sign a four-year, $193 million extension with the Wizards. Had the two sides come to an agreement on any such extension, over two-thirds of Washington's payroll would have been dedicated to Wall and Beal starting in 2021-22.
Any such scenario would obviously have handicapped the Wizards financially, and instead may have resulted in Beal being traded this summer. However, with two years remaining on his current deal and the no. 9 pick, there is a chance that Washington will get aggressive this offseason as they try to rebuild a team that once appeared to have a very bright future in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, Wall will miss half of the 2019-20 season, but the Wizards still managed to win 32 games without him and could be a playmaker or two away from reaching the playoffs once again.
In any case, as Lee suggests, the Wizards are likely relieved that they do not have to face the reality of either trading one of the best young players in the league or potentially curtailing their future.
Follow Us
Subscribe