Yahoo Sports Report: Wizards, Bradley Beal agree to 2-year, $72 million extension
The Washington Wizards and All-Star Bradley Beal have reportedly agreed to a two-year, $72 million extension to his current contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The extension would kick in with the 2021-2022 season and includes a player option in 2022-2023. Beal, 26, is guaranteed to make nearly $130 million over the next four years.
This extension gives Beal a path toward NBA history. According to Woj, Beal could decline that player option in 2022 (as is his right when he reaches 10 years of NBA service) and re-sign with the Wizards for a staggering five-year, $266 million contract. That would be the richest contract in NBA history, and $68 million more than he would get if he decided to leave the Wizards to sign with another team.
The Wizards lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2018, and then turned in a 32-50 season in 2018-2019. Woj reported that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis spent months persuading Beal that he had a plan to get the Wizards back into contention. The campaign proved successful — Beal’s agent has said that there’s nowhere else Beal wants to be.
Can confirm Bradley Beal has agreed to an extension with the #Wizards.
"This is where he wants to be. He's made it clear." -- Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein said.
Beal WANTS to be part of the team's rebuild.
Extension first reported by @wojespn— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) October 17, 2019
This is a huge blow to the free-agent market, though. Beal was one of the most promising young stars coming available, and could have helped a team looking for one final difference-maker to put it over the top. But Beal got what he wanted: a huge extension, and to stay in Washington. Now he’s even got a chance to make NBA history — and a whole lot of cash.
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