Does Bradley Beal’s Recent Statement Suggest He’s Finally Ready To Move On From The Wizards?

Three-time all-star Bradley Beal has spent the past 11 seasons with the Washington Wizards after being drafted by them in 2012. Coming out of the all-star break they are 28-30 which is currently ninth in the East. Beal has been loyal to the Wizards over the years no matter what the situation may look like. A recent quote by himself, however, revealed that he might in fact be ready to move on from the Wizards if changes don’t happen soon. 

Injuries have kept him off the court for part of the season so far and he’s played in 36 of the Wizards’ 58 games so far this season. He does still lead the team with (23.1) points per game and is shooting a career-high (.520) from the field in 2022-23.

Loyalty can only go so far when the results fail to happen. Beal knows the talent he can bring to the team, but the Wizards have failed to put the right pieces around him in a tough Eastern Conference. NBA betting sites have the Wizards at (+50000) to win the Finals this season.

"I’m patient, but there comes a time where you have to be a little selfish and draw a line in the sand, for sure,"

– Bradley Beal on his loyalty to the Wizards

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 22, 2023

How much more can Bradley Beal take before he moves on from the Wizards?

In 11 seasons played with the Washington since the 2012-13 season, the Wizards have made the playoffs five times and only once since the 2018-19 season. They haven’t had better than 35 wins in the last five seasons and that’s not all Beal’s fault.

The Wizards made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18 and Bradley Beal was a player the team could lean on. Beal played 77 games in ’16-17 and played a full 82 games in ’17-18 while also being named a first-time all-star that year.

Fast-forward to the present and Beal re-signed with Washington in 2022 for a five-year, $251 million deal with a no-trade clause. In a recent interview he was asked to describe what his patience level was with the Wizards organization. Here’s what he had to say.

“I’m patient, but there comes a time where you have to be a little selfish and draw a line in the sand, for sure,”… “So, I have thoughts in my head but at the same time I stay in the moment. I stay engaged with what we have and what we do and don’t get caught up in noise and just go from there, take it a day at a time, control what I can control.” – Bradley Beal

In a league where players demand trades left and right, Beal is one of the rare few that play with one team for their entire career. You think of players like Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and those still playing like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard.

It takes a ton of commitment to stay with a team like the Wizards who are not certainly not title contenders. Beal’s quote makes you think that this has been on his mind for some time now and he finally got to share his thoughts publicly.