NBA Rumors: League Execs Reportedly Have ‘Growing Belief’ Bradley Beal Won’t Sign Extension With Wizards

Although Bradley Beal has been a staple of trade rumors for the past several months, previous reports have suggested that the Washington Wizards don’t have any plans of moving him to another team. For his part, the star shooting guard has previously been quoted as saying that he plans to stay in Washington for as long as he possibly can.

But with less than two weeks remaining before the first day that the Wizards can offer him a contract extension, the latest rumors suggest the possibility that Beal will turn down this offer due to a number of factors.

As noted by The Washington Post in a report published Sunday, the Wizards will be able to offer Beal a three-year, $111 million extension on July 26, or exactly three years from the time the two-time All-Star guard signed a maximum contract with the team. While it was pointed out that the Wizards are planning to make this offer — and that both sides have “remained in contact” during the offseason — the publication added that there is a “growing belief” around the NBA that Beal “will not remain in Washington for his entire career.”

Regarding the reasons why rival executives are doubtful that Beal will sign the extension, The Washington Post cited multiple unnamed NBA executives who believe that the Wizards’ ongoing rebuilding project is making it hard for the 26-year-old shooting guard to make a decision on his future.

Based on Washington’s recent roster moves, it appears that the team is making an effort to field a younger lineup once the 2019-20 season begins in October.

Since the start of this year’s free agency period, the Wizards have added seven rookies and incoming second-year players, and have re-signed promising young center Thomas Bryant. According to The Washington Times, the team has also parted ways with veteran big man Dwight Howard, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as point guard Tomas Satoransky. Satoransky was shipped to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that also involved the Los Angeles Lakers.

Will the Wizards consider moving Bradley Beal this offseason?https://t.co/WICrarQG5x

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 15, 2019

Aside from the Wizards’ rebuilding efforts, the team’s management situation was mentioned as another reason why Beal’s future in Washington remains uncertain. The Washington Post cited an unnamed Western Conference senior executive, one who told the outlet that the shooting guard’s next moves will be “hard to predict” until the Wizards find a replacement for Ernie Grunfeld. Grunfeld, the team’s former president of basketball operations and general manager, was let go by the organization earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Bradley Beal’s recent comments to The Washington Post have suggested that he remains interested in an extension, and thinks it would be “great to play in one place forever.” However, he added that the aforementioned factors may indeed come into play when it comes to his decision on whether to sign an extension or not.

“[A]t the same time, you want to win and make sure you’re in a position to do so. I’m definitely going to evaluate who we hire as the GM and who we pick up on the team,” Beal told the publication last month. “All that plays a factor.”