Bradley Beal cited a desire to remain in D.C. for the remainder of his NBA career after agreeing to a two-year, $72-million contract extension Thursday with the Wizards.
Beal, 26, says it came down to creating a “legacy at the end of the day.”
The two-time All-Star vows to be patient with the rebuild in Washington, adding that he’s ready to shoulder an even bigger burden.
Per The WaPo:
“I guess just legacy at the end of the day. This is where I’ve been for the last seven years, going on eight, and I have an opportunity to turn this thing around,” Beal said, explaining his motivation. “It’s a beautiful market. I love it. I love D.C. This is where I’ve always wanted to be, and this is where I want to be for the rest of my career.”
The team offered the deal July 26, but Beal has consistently said he would take a wait-and-see approach before signing. His delay before Monday’s deadline led to speculation that Beal might want to leave for greener pastures.
“The whole summer, everybody was [saying]: ‘You need to go here. You need to go there. You shouldn’t sign it.’ Okay, that’s easier said than done,” Beal said. “It’s easy to think it’s all about money, when it’s not. And it’s easy to think, ‘Oh, you’re just comfortable,’ and that isn’t the case, either.”
For the 2019-20 season, Beal will be the team’s cornerstone, and that position enticed him to stay, according to his agent.
“I love the fact that we’re young. It’ll be a challenge,” Beal said. “It won’t be easy. It’ll be a lot of bumps in the road. But I think now I’m at a place where I can be at peace with it and I can be patient with it and understand that it’ll be a lot on my shoulders. But I’m ready for it.”
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