What uniform will three-time All-Star Bradley Beal be wearing when he next takes the court for an NBA game?
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Beal has decided to undergo surgery to repair a left wrist ligament injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 29, which will end his 2021-22 campaign. Since Beal holds a player option for 2022-23 and can be an unrestricted free agent, that could bring his time with the Washington Wizards to a conclusion.
With Beal out for the season, any remaining possibility of Washington working a trade before Thursday's deadline seems out the window. So the Wizards are going to count on Beal's longstanding loyalty to the franchise and their ability to offer more money than any other team.
Meanwhile, losing Beal for this season derails Washington's efforts to secure a spot in the play-in tournament, which had already been losing steam since a surprising 10-3 start. With the Wizards having lost eight of their last nine games, how should they approach the trade deadline now?
Let's break down all the implications of Beal's decision to have wrist surgery.
Breaking down Beal's free agency
After signing a two-year extension back in October 2019, Beal has been adamant to the media he doesn't plan to do so this time around. Instead, Beal wants to test unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career at age 28. Does that mean leaving Washington?
