Wizards keep three-time All-Star Bradley Beal with five-year, $251 million deal

Bradley Beal declined his $34.6 player option, but decided against leaving the Washington Wizards. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the three-time All-Star is staying with the Wizards on a five-year, $251 million contract. 

The Wizards confirmed an agreement was reached with Beal and his representatives, Priority Sports, also announced a five-year, max deal for the point guard.

Beal, who turned 29 on Tuesday, could've signed with another team for a deal as large as four-year, $185 million. With his new deal with the Wizards, he'll join Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic as the only three players in the league on contracts worth more than $50 million per season. But Beal said earlier in June that the money difference wouldn't be the deciding factor in his choice.

"I know what my decision will be based off of, and that's gonna be where I feel like I can win. That's going to be my decision," Beal told Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. "If I feel like I can win in D.C., that's what I'm gonna do, and I want people to respect that. I'm gonna compete and I wanna make this team better. If it's elsewhere, it's going to be the exact same commitment."

Beal was the third overall draft pick in 2012 and has spent his entire career with the Wizards. His 2021-22 season was cut short due to wrist surgery and he finished the year averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. The Wizards finished 35-47 and missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four years.