Bradley Beal Will Decline Option, Enter Free Agency

Bradley Beal is becoming a free agent. He will be declining his $36.4M contract option for next season, and will be free to sign with any team. This has long been expected, as Beal has intimated on numerous occasions that he's leaning towards re-signing a long-term deal with the Washington Wizards.

Bradley Beal is declining his $36.4M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, per @MikeAScotto pic.twitter.com/gQ2T2ABLpJ

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) June 22, 2022

The $64M Difference 

The difference in re-signing with the only team he's ever known in the NBA, and taking an offer from another organization is massive for Beal: While the Wizards can offer 5 years, $248M, he can get $183.6M over four years from another team. That $64M difference makes his decision pretty much a slam dunk. 

Beal did admit recently that plenty of players around the league have been recruiting him. "A lot, a lot. You know I can’t give you names," he said.

And as for what he's expecting from free agency: "Crazy, probably, like it always is."

Whatever a player's long-term intentions, it's become more common in the NBA these days for them to accept the bigger contract from the home team, then simply ask for a trade when it's time to leave. 

Beal is recovering from wrist surgery that wiped the last 33 games of the season for him. He's expected to be at full strength come training camp. 

The 10-year veteran and 3-time All-Star has career averages of 22.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He's also a 37% shooter from three-point range, though that number dipped considerably this past season. 

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports