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Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal has declined his player option for next season, which means he will be an unrestricted free agent heading into the beginning of free agency.
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has declined his $36.4M option and become a free agent, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Beal is eligible to sign a 5-year max to return to Wizards – or sign elsewhere on a 4-year deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2022
As noted by Adrian Wojnarowski, Beal is now eligible to sign a five-year deal to return to the Wizards or a four-year deal with any other team. There have been rumblings of Beal wanting to remain with Washington, but things can always change once he secures a big contract. Most contending teams don’t have cap space, which means a sign-and-trade deal could be the way to go if Beal has a particular destination in mind.
The 28-year old is entering his prime and will be one of the top free agents on the market. Even after he suffered a season-ending wrist injury in February, he’s considered one of the stars of the league. Look for teams like the Knicks and Heat to be in contention for Beal’s services.