Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is set to hit the open market when free agency begins Thursday.

Beal's agent told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the shooting guard has declined his $36.4 million player option. By declining the option, Beal is now eligible to sign a four-year deal with any other team in the NBA or re-sign with the Wizards on a five-year max contract.

While Beal would be the most sought-after player in free agency, the likelihood is that he returns to Washington. Wojnarowski reported earlier Wednesday that Beal is "very likely" to re-sign with the Wizards on a max deal that would pay him an estimated $248 million.

Beal has been a coveted player by teams around the league for quite some time now, but he's maintained his commitment to Washington. He's been the face of the Wizards for years, and he signed a two-year, $72 million contract extension in October 2019. He emerged as the team's go-to scorer that year with an average of 30.5 points per game while his former teammate John Wall was out with injuries.

Beal followed that up by averaging a career-high 31.3 points across 60 games in the 2020-21 season. However, the three-time All-Star struggles last year amid a nagging wrist injury that eventually required surgery. Beal was limited to just 40 games and shot a career-low 30 percent from beyond the arc.

The Wizards went 35-47 last season and missed the playoffs for the third time in four years. Beal has yet to make it out of the second round in his 10-year career, but some improvements to Washington's roster could change that.

In last week's NBA draft, the Wizards landed promising combo guard Johnny Davis. Washington also acquired Will Barton and Monte Morris from the Nuggets, according to Wojnarowski.

The Washington Wizards are "nearing" a trade to acquire Monte Morris and Will Barton, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

The Denver Nuggets would receive Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith in return.

Morris is coming off a career year filling in for the injured Jamal Murray, making 74 starts after starting 31 games in his first four NBA seasons. The point guard averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range.

The 27-year-old could fill a significant need at point guard for the Wizards, who had few reliable options after trading Spencer Dinwiddie before the February deadline last season.

With Murray set to return, the Nuggets clearly wanted to move Morris while his stock was at its highest.

Barton, a 6'5" guard, should also help Washington after averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game last season. The remade backcourt could provide some relief offensively for Bradley Beal if the All-Star remains with the team.

Beal has a $36.4 million player option for 2022-23, although he could also re-sign with the team on a larger deal after reportedly declining the option.

Denver loses some key parts of the rotation, but it adds a reliable two-way guard and NBA champion in Caldwell-Pope. The 29-year-old helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the title in 2020 and averaged 13.2 points last season with Washington.

As a quality perimeter defender who has made 39.5 percent of his threes over the past three seasons, Caldwell-Pope could be a perfect role player alongside Murray and two-time reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic as the Nuggets look to contend in the West.

Smith would presumably fill Morris' role as a backup point guard behind Murray, joining the team with loads of experience:

Ish Smith is poised to become the most traveled player in NBA history when he joins Denver as his 13th team. https://t.co/0uHCvNSStc

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 29, 2022

The 33-year-old averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 assists in 28 games off the bench for Washington last season after being traded by Charlotte. Undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2010, Smith is heading into his 13th year in the NBA and has proved he can be a reliable part of a roster.

One of the more intriguing NBA draft prospects is off the board after the Washington Wizards selected Yannick Nzosa, a Congolese center who plays for Unicaja of the Liga ACB in Spain, with the No. 54 overall pick.

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Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Yannick Nzosa

Position: C

Height: 6'10''

Pro Comparison: Precious Achiuwa

Scouting Report: Projected to go in the lottery before the season, Nzosa struggled offensively against quality competition overseas. Athleticism around the rim and defensive versatility still say he's a worthy second-round flier.

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Wizards Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Johnny Davis, SG: rookie scale contract

Yannick Nzosa, C: rookie scale contract

Bradley Beal, SG: $35.1M (2023, Player Option)

Kristaps Porzingis, PF: $31.7M (2024)

Daniel Gafford, PF: $13.4M (2026)

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG: $13M (2023)

Kyle Kuzma, PF: $13M (2024)

Rui Hachimura, PF: $5.1M (2023)

Deni Avdija, SF: $5.1M (2024)

Ish Smith, PG: $4.6M (2023)

Corey Kispert, SF: $4.1M (2025)

Vernon Carey, Jr, C: $2.2M (2024)

Isaiah Todd, PF: $1.7M (2025)

Free Agents

Raul Neto, PG: UFA

Thomas Bryant, C: UFA

Cassius Winston, PG: RFA

Anthony Gill, PF: RFA

Tomas Satoransky, SG: UFA

Cassius Winston, PG: RFA

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The 18-year-old Nzosa looked like a potential first-round pick in 2020-21. He only played 12.5 minutes per game in Liga ACB play but managed to score 4.3 points on 64.7 percent shooting while recording 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.

However, this past season did not go nearly as well.

Nzosa averaged 2.2 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting in an average of 11.1 minutes of league play across 29 appearances. He did miss five months with a groin injury, per Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN, so that could have played a part in a rough season.

Still, Nzosa has plenty of time and room to grow his game. He obviously isn't ready to contribute on the NBA level now, but Washington could have a high-upside player on its hands with some patience and continued development.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is expected to decline his $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and enter unrestricted free agency this summer, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Beal appeared confused by the report, posting on Twitter:

Wait huh? Lol

— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) June 22, 2022

There were rumblings for several years about Beal's future with the Wizards, but those were quieted for a bit in October 2019 when he signed a two-year, $72 million extension with the organization.

That deal ensured he would play the entire 2019-20 season in Washington, since NBA rules prohibit his contract from being traded for six months.

Taking over as the face of Wizards basketball with John Wall out of action because of injuries, Beal continued his evolution into an elite scorer and superstar talent. He averaged a career-high 30.5 points and 6.1 assists per game in 2019-20

Washington left no doubt it wanted to build around Beal by trading Wall to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook in December 2020. The move didn't lead to improvements on the court, thanks in part to a defense that ranked 19th in rating and last in points allowed per game during the 2020-21 season.

The Wizards' 34-38 record earned them a spot in the play-in tournament, and they wound up securing the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. The team parted ways with head coach Scott Brooks after five seasons. Longtime Denver Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. was hired as a replacement.

Westbrook was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that brought back Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell to Washington.

That additional depth had the Wizards playing better overall than last season, but they were still fighting to stay in the playoff mix. In the end, their 35-47 record ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference standings and outside of the playoffs.

Beal saw his scoring average drop to 23.2 points, its lowest point since 2017-18, in 2021-22 with more talent around him.

Nothing from Beal's overall body of work suggests he should have problems being an efficient scorer, however, especially at this stage of his career. He is a dynamic offensive talent who has become a solid facilitator.

Beal will immediately become one of the most accomplished players on the free-agent market and should attract ample interest from contenders. He's the type of player who could push a team on the fringe into championship contention.

At 28, there would be some risk involved with a lucrative long-term contract since he'll likely be well behind his prime by the time the deal concludes, but there's always a trade off when it comes to signing a high-end free agent with the immediate future as the focus.

Washington could still be involved in the process as part of a possible sign-and-trade agreement in order to help a team facilitate the deal, which would at least help the team recoup some value while losing a longtime cornerstone.

The Washington Wizards remain "pretty confident" they can retain Bradley Beal this offseason, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.

Lowe was discussing the possible landscape for Kyrie Irving should he leave the Brooklyn Nets and discussed the merits of Washington. Lowe described the Wizards as a "really interesting wild card" assuming Beal is back. (The discussion begins at the 1:09:22 mark).

Beal has a $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season, which he is likely to decline. He's eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to a projected $247.7 million.

Although the three-time All-Star soon can become an unrestricted free agent, the Wizards didn't trade him last offseason or ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. That indicated Washington's desire to re-sign him and arguably a belief from the front office that it could get a deal done.

"With the way that the NBA calendar is set up, we can't do anything earlier than July 1," general manager Tommy Sheppard said in April. "I can just go off of 10 years of a relationship with him. I think he feels comfortable here, we certainly feel comfortable with him here. It's a good fit."

In May, the Washington Post's Ava Wallace reported Beal was "still leaning toward signing a multiyear deal with Washington worth roughly $250 million in July."

The Wizards missed the play-in tournament in 2021-22 after finishing 35-47. Beal missed 42 games in total, including the Wizards' final 33 games of the season.

Washington still figures to be behind the Eastern Conference elite even if it brings Beal back. Sheppard will have a lot of work ahead to strengthen the supporting cast.

For Beal, re-signing with the Wizards may nonetheless be his smartest play since they can offer him more money than any other team. That has to figure into the equation somewhat given his injury history—he has played 60-plus games only once in the last three years.

If things aren't working out within the first year or two of his new contract, then the 6'4" guard can follow the lead of Paul George, who requested a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder one summer after re-signing with them.

The Los Angeles Lakers may be saying all the right things publicly, but they remain interested in trading Russell Westbrook.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer said the Lakers have explored a Westbrook-Bradley Beal deal.

"The one name that I've heard recently is Bradley Beal as another guy that they want. I'm not sure if the interest is as mutual. You know Beal, it seems like Miami would be more of the threat to take him away from Washington. I don't think you can also rule out Boston either because of his relationship with Jayson Tatum, but the Lakers are trying to angle for some moves like that using the Russ expiring and the '27 and the '29 firsts."

The Lakers are expected to explore trade talks for Westbrook this offseason even though they've been publicly committal about bringing him back next season. New Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Westbrook will "absolutely" be with the team next season at his introductory press conference.

"And Russell—don't get it messed up," Ham said. "Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen and still has a ton left in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off. I'm going to approach him like I do every player I've ever encountered. We're going to talk about our running habits with the ball, without the ball. And, again, the team, the rhythm of the team and trying to establish a rhythm with LeBron, Russ and AD and, again, share the load defensively and offensively."

Westbrook is coming off a down 2021-22 season that saw him average 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists. He spent much of the season alone on an island with LeBron James and Anthony Davis dealing with injuries.

When Davis and James were on the floor, Westbrook's skill set proved to be an oil-water mix. He struggled in particular with James, with their propensity for needing the ball proving to be an awkward on-court mix.

The Lakers were arguably the NBA's most disappointing team, finishing 33-49 (11th in the West). Westbrook, 33, is under contract through the 2022-23 season and will make $47.1 million, which only further complicates any trade talks.

Bradley Beal's future with the Washington Wizards is no longer up in the air, at least for him.

Beal said Saturday in an interview with The Athletic's Josh Robbins that he has made a decision but can't yet share what it is because "it would be improper to discuss any potential future contract while he's still fulfilling his current contract."

Beal, who has a $36.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season, also told reporters that "a lot" of people from teams tried to recruit him this offseason. He added that his recovery from wrist surgery is going well and that he has been cleared for on-court activities.

Beal's comments come after he told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks that his decision to opt into his player option would hinge on whether he believes the Wizards can win in 2022-23 and beyond.

Beal said, as transcribed by Jack Maloney of CBS Sports:

"Obviously, I consider my family. What do they wanna do? Where do they wanna live? What are they comfortable with? And, obviously, the team. So, it is surreal in a lot of ways to be in the position I am in. It is crazy numbers. It is what it is. It's uncontrollable. It's out of my control. But I'm blessed to be here. Again, I don't shy away from that. I take it on with a full front and I have to do what's best for me. There is a little anxiety because I have to make the decision and time is counting down. We're in June now. But it's fun to be in this position.

"I know what my decision will be based off of, and that's gonna be where I feel like I can win. That's going to be my decision. If I feel like I can win in D.C., that's what I'm gonna do. I want people to respect that."

Beal has spent his entire career with the Wizards, who selected him third overall in the 2012 NBA draft. The 28-year-old has been one of the best shooting guards in the NBA since then, but Washington has had minimal playoff success, making the postseason in just five of Beal's 10 seasons.

The Wizards have also never made it past the conference semifinals with Beal on the roster and have not had a winning season since the 2017-18 campaign, when they finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 49-33 record.

Despite appearing in just 40 games during the 2021-22 season, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from deep.

It appears the Wizards are trying to get their superstar some help, as NBA insider Quinton Mayo reported Thursday that the franchise is interested in acquiring one of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Dejounte Murray (SAS) or Malcolm Brogdon (IND) this summer.

However, only time will tell if Beal wants to give winning in D.C. another shot or if he would rather attempt to win a title elsewhere, perhaps with a team that has had a little more success over the last several seasons.

It appears the Washington Wizards are looking at a variety of players to pair with Bradley Beal ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Wizards are interested in several point guards, including Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs veteran Dejounte Murray and Indiana Pacers veteran Malcolm Brogdon, according to NBA insider Quinton Mayo.

Though Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer recently reported that the Pacers are testing the market for Brogdon, it's unclear if the Thunder would be willing to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander or the Spurs with Murray.

Gilgeous-Alexander has become a cornerstone for the Thunder, and he had a solid 2021-22 season, averaging a career-high 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from deep in 56 games.

If Oklahoma City were to part ways with the 23-year-old, it would cost Washington a pretty penny. That said, the Thunder own the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and could use that to select a replacement for him.

We know Thunder general manager Sam Presti likes to stockpile draft picks. Would he be willing to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander for a package of picks and players? It's worth wondering.

Murray, meanwhile, would also be difficult for the Wizards to acquire, as he also had a career year this season. The 25-year-old averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from deep in 68 games.

As for Brogdon, he had a solid 2021-22 season, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 31.2 percent from deep in 36 games. However, the Pacers could stand to move him following the acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton.

With Indiana attempting to get younger, Brogdon doesn't fit the team's timeline at 29 years old. While he's not the best of the three players the Wizards desire, he would be Washington's most reasonable option.

If the Wizards don't land any of these players, they'll need to do something else to entice Beal, who has a player option for the 2022-23 season, to stay. The three-time All-Star recently said he was going to base his decision on where he feels he can win, and if he feels the Wizards can't win next season, he'll likely move on.

Washington hasn't had a winning season since the 2017-18 campaign and has made the playoffs just twice in the last five seasons. The team finished the 2021-22 season 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 record.

While the Golden State Warriors reportedly explored a trade for Bradley Beal, they never came close to getting a deal done.

"I never got the sense those talks went anywhere," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his podcast (31:40 mark) following Game 6 of the NBA Finals. "[The Athletic's] Marcus Thompson came on the podcast and said there were times the veterans wanted them to do something. But I think there was hesitancy, 'Can we defend well enough with Steph, Klay, Beal in our starting five? Versus Wiggins we feel like we have something here.' But Washington wasn't doing anything. Washington's never doing anything—ever—on that front, it seems."

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne previously reported the Warriors explored expediting their retooling process around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green by trading for Beal, but "nothing came together in a way they liked."

Any framework of a Beal trade would have included Andrew Wiggins, who played a starring two-way role in these Finals. Wiggins averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds over the six-game series but was especially brilliant with back-to-back double-doubles in Games 4 and 5.

Beal has been trade-rumor fodder for years, with the All-Star guard and the Wizards seemingly willing to kick the can down the road at every turn. He can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he declines his $36.4 million player option, but he'd be hitting the open market at a point when few teams have significant cap space.

If Beal chooses to depart this offseason, he'd almost certainly have to do so via a sign-and-trade agreement.

It's unclear whether a Beal trade would have worked out for the Warriors. Any deal would have cost them Wiggins, likely along with Jordan Poole and other promising young players (at least one of the Jonathan Kuminga-James Wiseman-Moses Moody trio).

As it stands, the Warriors trusted in their player development process and came away with a championship team brimming with young talent.

The Washington Wizards have reportedly discussed a trade that would allow them to move up in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft and select Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.

According to Wizards insider Quinton Mayo, Washington is "really high" on Ivey and has "spent a significant amount of time discussing possible trade packages" to move up to the No. 4 overall pick in order to take him.

The Sacramento Kings own the fourth overall pick in the draft, while the Wizards are currently slated to pick 10th.

Mayo noted that Ivey has been projected to go fourth overall by many, and that includes Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who had Ivey coming off the board fourth in his latest mock draft.

Wasserman mocked Ivey behind a trio of bigs in Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero.

Ivey is pretty well established as the top guard in the 2022 class after averaging 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 three-pointers made while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore last season.

The 20-year-old star was a consensus second-team All-America selection and first-team All-Big Ten selection last season for a Boilermakers team that went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16.

Ivey would fill a huge area of need for the Wiz, that being a backcourt running mate for Bradley Beal if he opts in for the final year of his contract in 2022-23 or signs a long-term extension with Washington.

If Beal opts to test free agency, a guard like Ivey would be even more of a necessity, and could perhaps take over as the face of the franchise.

On Wednesday, ESPN NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony reported that the Wizards have been discussed within the NBA as a team willing to trade the No. 10 overall pick for a proven guard.

Making such a deal would be for the same reason as trading up to No. 4 overall for Jaden Ivey.

After trading Spencer Dinwiddie last season as part of the deal for power forward Kristaps Porzingis, the Wizards were extremely thin at guard, and their backcourt prospects look rough next season beyond Beal if he returns.

Ivey would be a huge upgrade over the likes of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, and he could perhaps play a role in convincing Beal to stay in Washington for the long haul.