Bradley Beal is a guy poised to take a leap forward this season — if he can stay healthy. He wants to prove he can do for season what he did in the playoffs last season when he lead the Wizards in scoring at 23.4 points a game. He’s an elite sharpshooter and two guard, and he and John Wall proving they are the best backcourt in the East is key to Washington making it to the conference finals or beyond.
Does that make Beal a max player?
He wants a max extension; the Wizards haven’t been ready to give that up. The two sides have until Oct. 31 to get a deal done, but there has been no progress of late reports J. Michael at CSNmidatlantic.com.While talks remain open, CSNmidatlantic.com was told, there hasn’t been any movement. Beal, who believes he’s worth a max deal, just returned from Taiwan and president Ernie Grunfeld had been on vacation.
The lack of reaching a compromise isn’t an indication of any greater problems, but the Wizards aren’t in a position in which they must commit to a four-year deal fully guaranteed right now with so many moving parts ahead in free agency in the summer of 2016.
There are two key reasons for the Wizards not to give Beal a max deal right now.
First is Kevin Durant. The Wizards want him to return to his hometown, and believe they have a legitimate shot to land him when he becomes a free agent next summer.But that is going to take boatloads of cash. If Beal and the Wizards do not reach a deal, Beal’s cap hold next summer will be $14.2 million; if he signs a max extension he would cost $20.9 million against the cap. That’s $6.7 million would come in handy landing Durant (or another free agent).
Second is Beal needs to prove he’s worthy of a max. When he’s on he certainly is — he shot 40.9 percent from three last season. But also last season he was inconsistent, and he has missed time for three straight seasons due to a stress reaction in his leg. Do the Warriors want to bet big on that now?
If no extension is reached, Beal becomes a restricted free agent next summer, and if Beal has earned a max the two sides can reach a deal — or even if another team offers him one the Wizards can match. The Wizards can afford to wait. Beal may have no choice.
