Bradley Beal is done for the rest of the season.
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Bradley Beal will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, according to Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein. Beal has missed Washington’s last four games after attempting to take a charge on Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarvis Jackson Jr. He continued in the game for a while but has since retired. His season, and maybe his time in Washington, has come to an end.
As you can think, Beal was disappointed that this was how his season would finish, but he realized that if he tried to play through the injury, he would not be able to produce to his full potential.
Beal released a statement in a press release, “Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve. I’m disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100% and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future.”
Beal originally hurt his wrist in a defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies late last month when he attempted to take a charge but fell hard on his left wrist. Beal was able to finish the game, but the club stated that he will be out for at least four games.
However, Beal’s season is now ended.
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This offseason, Beal may become an unrestricted free agency, with the option to sign a five-year, $241 million contract with the Wizards. He has so far declined to commit, preferring to keep his options open in case he decides to make a change. However, with this injury, a midseason deal seems quite improbable. Few clubs would be prepared to pay the Wizards a reasonable price for Beal, given that he won’t play the remainder of the season and may leave before next season. As a result, Beal’s options look to be confined to remaining in Washington or leaving as a free agent for the time being.
Washington’s season has been a colossal letdown thus far. The Wizards have only gone 14-26 after opening the season with a 10-3 record. They are now in 11th position in the Eastern Conference and are expected to return to the lottery after making the playoffs for the first time last season. Washington would be in the lottery for the third time in four years.
Beal wasn’t exactly contributing to the situation. After averaging over 30 points per game the previous two seasons, he was scoring just 23.2 points per game this season. He shoots a career-low 30% from outside the arc, and his defensive effort was modest for the majority of the season. Now the Wizards must figure out a way to show Beal that they can construct a winning team around him without putting him on the court for the remainder of the season.
