NBA Free Agency 2022: Bradley Beal expected to sign five-year supermax deal with the Wizards

Bradley Beal is expected to opt out of his current contract with the Washington Wizards this summer and re-sign with the team for a five-year “supermax” contract that is worth about $248 million per multiple sources, including ESPN.

If Beal doesn’t opt out of his current contract, he would earn about $36.4 million. But a supermax contract will bump his first-year supermax salary up to about $42.7 million.

None of this news is expected to be a surprise. Beal has been rumored to be leaning in this direction for sometime. By making the decision to sign a supermax, Beal will more than secure his financial future for life and be the face of the Wizards franchise for years to come, assuming he isn’t traded in that time frame.

That said, Beal’s supermax, if it happens, will put the Wizards in a bind. They will be unable to sign any significant free agent players beyond a mid-level exception for the foreseeable future. Given that the Wizards missed the playoffs last season and probably aren’t contending for a title in 2022-23, it’s difficult to see Washington compete for more than a first or second round playoff appearance. Stranger things have happened of course, but that’s what I think would happen.

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