It’s obvious Beal wants to play on a winning team, but the Wizards are the team that will allow him to make the most regular season money.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is one of the most sought-after free agents this summer. Not necessarily because multiple teams expect to sign him this July, but rather because multiple teams may believe they could offer him a better winning situation that Washington.
Last week, Beal mentioned in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks about what he is thinking regarding his pending free agency. The key quote, which was transcribed by Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, was that he would base his decision on “where I feel like I could win.”
To this point, Beal has been loyal to the Wizards, signing all of his contracts with them. Still, the Wizards missed the playoffs last season, have a major need at point guard and it’s unclear how well he will pair up with new forward Kristaps Porzingis.
Since the Wizards are able to offer Beal more money than any other team (about $250 million over five years), it is possible that other teams interested in him will wait until next season’s trade deadline, especially if it’s clear that things aren’t working out in Washington in the wins and losses column.