Don't worry, Washington Wizards fans. Bradley Beal isn't looking to leave.
Beal will "almost certainly" sign an extension with the Wizards by next summer, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.
However, a deal is unlikely to be consummated before this year's Oct. 31 deadline. Beal wants a maximum contract, while the Wizards are offering less in the interest of maximizing future flexibility.
A maximum deal for Beal would account for $20 million of the Wizards' cap room next season. But if they allow Beal to become a restricted free agent, he'll account for a cap hold of $11.3 million. The added breathing room could help the team with its chase for other free agents - like Washington native Kevin Durant, who's slated to hit the market in 2016.
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There are other concerns, too, with the Wizards' courtship of Beal. For one, the guard's spotty injury history (he has missed 54 games over the past three seasons) is giving the Wizards pause.
The 22-year-old's propensity for volume shooting from the dreaded mid-range area is also something of an Achilles heel for Beal. To that end, he said he's working to improve his shot selection this summer.
"I have to do as much as I can as best as I can to eliminate those long twos and get to the basket, get to the free-throw line," Beal told Bleacher Report's Josh Martin. "Those are just easy points."
Still, even without the improvements, Beal's still a strong candidate to receive the maximum. He's one of the best up-and-coming shooting guards in the league, and averaged 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last postseason.
Rather than worrying about his contract status, Beal hopes to improve as a leader.
"We're capable of leading a team and we're capable of getting on our teammates," Beal said of him and backcourt mate John Wall. "That's what we're supposed to do. We're the two best players on the team. We have to act like it."
Four members of Beal's 2012 draft class - Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Jonas Valanciunas - signed extensions this summer.
