5 free agent signings NBA teams are already regretting
By Connor Learn
3. Brad Beal – Washington Wizards
Contract: Five years, 128 million
Bradley Beal’s five-year,128 million dollar contract is the sixth largest contract in the history of the NBA. The talented23-year-oldd would have drawn a max contract elsewhere in the free market, but this is surely a risk. Since arriving in the NBA, Beal has started 241 of 358 possible games for the Wizards.
Starting 67 percent of your team’s games over four years is foreseeable if you went through major injury issues, but Beal is yet to go through a major injury. Since the start of the 2014-2015 season, five of the nine ailments that have prevented Beal from playing have included the word “sore.” But his talent is undeniable, and you make gambles on talent.
Why this contract is already regrettable
Things in Washington are bleak so far this offseason. John Wall publicly admitted to tension on the court with Beal and rumors that he wants to leave Washington have only picked up momentum. Offseason signee Ian Mahinmi is yet to play, new coach Scott Brooks hasn’t been successful, and the Wizards are 2-7. The team is publicly pointing fingers for failures as frustration builds. Beal started 1-8 from the field then missed most of the Wizards win over the Boston Celtics on November 9. He hasn’t played in the week since with what the club has called hamstring soreness.
When Beal has played this year, he has struggled. He has shot under 30 percent from three thus far and is only averaging 15.4 points per game. This is troublesome. He is average at best in most areas of the game and doesn’t give much when he isn’t scoring efficiently. When the Wizards extended Beal, they expected him to truly emerge as a second franchise player alongside John Wall. Instead, they have just gotten more of what makes him so frustrating.
The Wizards could be left with just Bradley Beal and Kelly Oubre in the future if they aren’t careful. Bradley Beal isn’t the only problem in Washington, but he hasn’t provided any solutions this year either. If the current trajectory of this season continues, then Wizards fans will be in for a rough one.