Bradley Beal doesn’t know what’s next for his playing career.
He did, however, reveal on Thursday that he’s leaning toward signing with the Washington Wizards again this summer.
“It’s fair,” Beal said about signing with the team again, . “It’s fair.”
after he tore the scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Beal first injured his wrist in January after he tried to take a charge against the Memphis Grizzlies, but then landed directly on his wrist.
Beal averaged 23.2 points, a career-high 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 40 games this season, his 10th in Washington. The 28-year-old is in the first year of a two-year, $70 million deal with the Wizards, though he’s eligible to sign a five-year, $245 million extension with them this summer.
He told that he wasn’t going to rush any decision regarding his future, something he reiterated again on Thursday. Beal is, though, happy with what he’s seen from his teammates since his injury.
“As crazy as this sounds, this [injury] is a blessing in disguise too,” Beal said, . “Because I can see the team, I can see our young guys develop, I can see Coach [Wes Unseld Jr.] continue to develop too. I can see us grow as a team. I don’t have to rush to a decision, I don’t have to rush to anything.”
The Wizards currently hold a 28-33 record, which has them in 11th place and one full game behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings.
Seeing how the organization handles the next few months and their push to reach the postseason for the second straight year, he said, will play a big part into his decision.
“Obviously winning [is important],” Beal said, . “Having a winning environment, a group of guys that are committed to winning, buying into what Coach wants, buying into what the organization needs. Obviously, I play a factor into that too. I have to be better … but being around the group of guys, who want to win and who will buy into what we need to do, that is important.”
