The Washington Wizards are ready to fight for Bradley Beal

The fight to retain Bradley Beal begins later this week for the Washington Wizards

While the vast majority of the NBA anticipates Bradley Beal being the next big name to be moved one way or another – whether he demands a trade publically or privately – the Washington Wizards have other plans.

The Wizards aren’t exactly in a stable place when it comes to their front office and the team doesn’t have many prospects on being a real player in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2019-20 season. However, losing Beal – via trade or in free agency in two years – would leave Washington in a sad state.

They would have no choice but to hit the hard reset button, with John Wall‘s supermax – a contract that many suggest is the worst contract in the league – still on the books.

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Washinton, though, hopes to avoid such a scenario. And the first step in doing just that involves the team re-signing Beal to an extension. Something that many expect to be easier said than done, even though Beal really hasn’t suggested he wants out.

But it all becomes real later this week when the Wizards can officially extend Beal a three-year max. Washington will reportedly offer the extension as soon as they’re eligible to, according to ESPN, and even if Beal refuses to sign it this summer it won’t change anything in the team’s approach.

Per that same report, if Beal refuses to sign it – which could be for a number of reasons, one including holding out for possibly qualifying for the supermax next summer – the Wizards don’t plan on taking calls on the prospects of trading him.

Which is both the necessary and smart move. For one, the Wizards aren’t in a place where they can even rebuild properly by trading Beal. Wall is still on the books for the foreseeable future and is probably the most unmoveable contract in the league.

Moving Beal would accomplish little – with the exception of gaining a few valuable assets – if they still couldn’t move Wall. Essentially, they’d be doing a rebuild with one foot in and one foot out. Unless, of course, they could find a way to package Wall and Beal in a much larger deal.

However, they wouldn’t get market value return due to the fact that some team would have to absorb Wall’s horrific contract. It’s certainly not a great position for the Wizards to be in.

Which is why the Wizards need to do whatever they can to fight for Bradley Beal. And it’s a fight that will likely linger into the season and into next offseason – assuming Beal doesn’t sign an extension this summer.

Even though Washington shouldn’t be all that alarmed if Beal doesn’t sign an extension this summer, it would certainly be a step in the wrong direction. However, the Wizards are saying all the right things. They intend to fight for Beal, and won’t let him get away that easy.

Next. NBA: Breaking down the Lakers, Clippers after a dramatic offseason. dark

If you’re expecting Bradley Beal to be the next big name to be traded, perhaps it’s flawed thinking. The Wizards are prepared to fight for what’s theirs.

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