Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will not join the team in Orlando because of a lingering shoulder injury. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Beal won't play in NBA resumption

Bradley Beal has announced that he will not be playing for the Washington Wizards in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season due to an injury to his right rotator cuff.

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," said Beal. "I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term. I appreciate the support of my teammates, the fans and the entire organization and look forward to returning next season to continue the progress we have made."

Beal will still be going to Orlando with the team, but his injury will keep him from actually playing in the games. This likely destroys what little chance Washington had at making much of an impact in Orlando, as Beal has easily been the best player for the team this season. Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard voiced his support for Beal's decision.

"Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury," said Sheppard. "Although he was able to play through the majority of the season with the injury, the layoff from March until now did not leave any of us feeling comfortable that he would have enough time to be ready to perform at the extremely high level we are all accustomed to seeing and agreed that not participating in the games in Orlando was the right decision."

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