If you’ve checked any Washington Wizards injury reports this season, you’ve surely seen one name every time: Saddiq Bey. But where has he been?
The Wizards signed Bey last offseason to a three year, $20 million contract, but he has been out for the duration of that contract thus far with a torn ACL he suffered as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Considering Bey has not suited up with the Wizards yet, his contract is functionally a two-year contract worth $10 million annually spread across three years.
Signing Bey was a smart business move by the Wizards’ front office. Bey’s contract, around $7 million annually, is absolutely not prohibitive. $7 million for a player of Bey’s caliber is great value, whether he ever plays a game for the Wizards or not.
Allowing Bey to collect $7 million while rehabbing his torn ACL allowed the Wizards to essentially fill a roster spot with empty calories to allow their young players more on-court freedom. Eliminating salary value equivalent to a rotational player gave the Wizards the ability to let their three first-round rookies get their feet wet while staying above the salary floor as an organization.
If Bey is to be dangled as a trade piece to a contending team, his low salary, combined with his high-floor 3-and-D play, will make him a hot commodity on the trade market. Bey has proven himself as a capable fifth-starter level player with some scoring chops and the ability to make jumpers. He is quite comparable to Gary Trent Jr., who has been a really important player for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
There is also no harm in keeping Bey around and letting himself play his way back into NBA shape once he is recovered. That will only increase his value.
Bey was initially drafted in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft and began his career as a member of the Detroit Pistons. As a member of the Pistons, Bey etched his name into the record books as perhaps the most random player to ever drop 50 points in an NBA game. He was later usurped by Malachi Flynn in 2024.
Though not related to his on-court production, it is cool to note that Bey went to high school in the Washington DC area. Bey attended DeMatha Catholic in Maryland as a freshman before transferring to Sidwell Friends on Wisconsin Avenue by Cathedral Heights.