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NBA Free Agency 2015: Is Bradley Beal Worth The Max Contract?

By Ben Mehic

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When it comes to re-signing their key players, the Washington Wizards haven’t been shy about pulling the trigger.

Once John Wall became eligible for a 5-year max contract extension in the summer of 2013, team president Ernie Grunfeld quickly got a deal inked by the former first overall pick. Wall signed the “designated player” extension virtually right when he became eligible.

This past summer, Grunfeld didn’t hesitate to extend a $60 million contract to unrestricted free agent Marcin Gortat. The deal solidified a spot in the nation’s capital for The Polish Hammer for at least the next half-decade.

Instead of letting the market determine how much value the free agents had, the Wizards locked them up for the long-haul.

This summer, they’ll have the chance to do the same with Bradley Beal, who’ll become eligible for his first contract extension.

According to reports, the Wizards will sign Bradley Beal to the max-contract extension, making him the highest paid player on the roster.

If they don’t sign Beal to the extension this summer, they do have other options. Ken Berger of CBS Sports broke it down:

"If the Wizards don’t do the extension this summer, Beal would have two options: Become a restricted free agent next summer (assuming the Wizards extend a qualifying offer, which of course they will), or sign his $7.5 million qualifying offer and become unrestricted in 2017. Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld and Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, have yet to initiate extension talks, but they will soon."

The option to sign a qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent — something that Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe did this past summer — isn’t likely to occur.

Even though the salary cap is expected to rise and Beal would have the chance to seriously cash out in 2017 if he chose that route, that option is typically left for players that look to have complete freedom, meaning signing with a different team without restrictions.

Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post: Detailed Breakdown Of Bradley Beal’s Extension

Bradley Beal has become a key player in Washington, and unlike Monroe, he’s enjoyed his time in D.C. The team has also experienced some success unlike the Pistons.

So, that option will be left off the table.

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If Beal signs a contract extension this summer, the Washington Wizards will have less cap room to work with during the summer of 2016, when that guy (Kevin Durant) becomes a free agent.

If they opt to wait until next summer to reach a deal with Bradley Beal, letting him enter restricted free agency, the Wizards could allow him to sign an offer-sheet with another team that they’d later match.

The Utah Jazz were in a similar situation with Gordon Hayward this past summer.

Regardless of how it goes down, Bradley Beal is going to remain with the Washington Wizards and he’s going to sign a max contract.

But, is he worth it?

Bradley Beal has dealt with numerous injuries throughout the course of his young career. The former third overall pick has missed significant time with leg and ankle injuries. Still, he’s managed to bounce back and his injuries haven’t hindered his development.

The 21-year-old is coming off one of the most successful runs in his career.

During the NBA Playoffs, Bradley Beal elevated his game and helped the Wizards sweep the Toronto Raptors in dominant fashion before getting bounced out of the second round for the second straight year.

He averaged 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. For comparison, Klay Thompson averaged 21.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during the regular season. Beal is also nearly four years younger than Thompson.

Instead of continuously settling for mid-range jumpers like he did during the regular season, Beal attacked the basket and took advantage of the team’s spacing. His new-found ability to score off the dribble took pressure off John Wall and the offense thrived as a result.

His defense, however, was even more impressive.

Beal held former All-Star DeMar DeRozan to 20 points per game on 20 shot attempts. In the semifinals, Bradley Beal held All-Star Kyle Korver to just 7 points per game on 31 percent shooting from the field.

Given his age and work ethic, Bradley Beal is only going to get better. He played like a max player during the NBA Playoffs, but he’ll have to continue that during an 82-game regular season. More importantly, he’ll have to find a way to stay healthy.

Washington is going to keep their star-studded back court together for a long, long time.

Bradley Beal will sign a max-contract extension with the Washington Wizards. Whether it happens this summer or next summer, Beal will stick around.

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