Restricted free-agent shooting guard Bradley Beal is apparently close to getting the max contract he hoped he'd receive from the Washington Wizards.
The two parties are nearing agreement on a five-year, $128-million max contract, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
A deal could reportedly be done as soon as Friday. The Wizards would be wise to hold off on signing Beal at the first chance they get, though, as his cap hold of $14 million provides the team with extra space to sign players before they exceed the salary cap to lock him in.
Washington attempted to sign Beal, now 23, to a cheaper contract extension early in the season. However, he ultimately turned it down in hope of cashing in when the salary cap skyrocketed as a result of the NBA's lucrative new TV deal.
"I feel like I'm a max player and that's what I'm looking for," Beal told the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo last month. "If Washington can't meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere," he said. "I'm pretty sure that they probably won't (let me go). At the end of the day, that's where I want to be. I think a deal will probably get done but you just never know."
Injuries continue to be a concern for the Florida product: Beal's missed 19 or more games three of the four seasons he's been in the league, the most noteworthy injury being a stress reaction in his right fibula which he's suffered every year.
In 55 games last season, Beal averaged a career-high 17.4 points on 44.9 percent shooting and 38.7 percent from deep, along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the 41-41 Wizards.
