Bradley Beal's departure from the Washington Wizards left the fanbase in a bit of a weird place.
There was no doubt that a rebuild in the DMV was long overdue, but letting go of one of the longest tenured stars that the Wizards fanbase talked themselves into being the player who could lead them to the promise land was a tough pill to swallow.
Washington moved on from Beal shortly after making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
However, the team's decision to ink the star to the deal sent waves around the league, but not for the right reasons.
Many labeled the team's decision to sign the Florida product to a long-term deal as a mistake, especially considering the fact that the playmaker managed to negotiate a no-trade clause within the deal.
Fortunately, Washington found an out from their costly mistake by sending Beal to the Phoenix Suns in the 2023 offseason when the team finally decided to commit to a rebuild.
Beal's addition to the Suns made many believe that Phoenix would be destined to skyrocket towards the top of the Western Conference with the chance to contend for a NBA championship for years to come.
Nonetheless, between the guard's inconsistent play and his inability to stay on the court, his tenure in Phoenix ended with a disappointing and abrupt end this offseason resulting in a contract buyout.
Beal quickly signed with the LA Clippers, which he hoped to be the turning point to get his career back on track.
However, with a rough start to the season leading to a season-ending hip surgery, the former Wizards' career continues to trend in the wrong direction.
Looking at this recent stat, it goes to show just how fortunate the Wizards were to offload the former No. 3 overall pick when they had the chance.
The stat? Bradley Beal will have played in just 166 of a possible 332 games by season end since signing a five-year, $251 million super max contract with the Wizards in the offseason of 2022.
Not only has the star player's career taken a turn for the worse, but had he still been in Washington while going through this disappointing turn of events, the Wizards would be stuck dealing with the financial consequences of arguably one of the worst deals in recent memory.
Fortunately, Washington seems to be on the verge of building one of the most exciting young rosters in the NBA, while Beal's future in the league remains in jeopardy.