So, Bradley Beal is done for the season.
Yup, in the midst of a wild and eventful lead-up to the trade deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski casually dropped an update on Beal’s status during the middle of Tuesday’s trade frenzy.
There’s a lot to unpack here.
Beal is set to become a free agent this upcoming offseason and the speculation on his future will grow cloudier now that he’s injured. It feels like a trade is almost certainly off the table. And with Beal out of the picture, for the time being, the attention quickly pivots to the rest of the Washington Wizards roster.
Washington Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal plans to undergo season-ending surgery on his left wrist, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022
What’s the call? Are the Wiz going to tear it down, ship everyone out, and start a rebuild? I think that’s probably the best move. The draft is looking mighty deep in 2022 and the Wizards could position themselves nicely if they commit to punting on the season.
But if they for some reason choose to ride it out with the current roster, a low-key tank may already be in store anyways. The Wizards own a 24-29 record with a healthy Beal. Still, they are currently behind the play-in seeds out East. It’s not going to get any better from here.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Bradley Beal has played his final game with the Wizards. Are we sure Washington wants to give the supermax: 5 years/$240M? Are we sure Beal would rather stay there instead of a winner for 4/$180M? Plenty of contenders will try to sign-and-trade for him. https://t.co/dcLjfkBQjl
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 8, 2022
What does all of this mean? Fade the Wizards going forward.
They might have good daily fantasy basketball options—a bunch of guys will get stats and the Wizards will be a high-scoring team—but that’s about where it stops. The reported locker room issues seem very real, player roles are imperfect and the season’s end couldn’t come any quicker.
