The Wizards received calls from rival teams about Bradley Beal at the trade deadline, though the front office politely told potential suitors that he wasn’t available.
“I said save your breath, we’re good here,” GM Tommy Sheppard explained on The Ryen Russillo Podcast.
Sheppard said he’s aware of what the market is for Beal based on those teams calling to speak with him. However, the potential massive haul that the Wizards could receive only strengthens how the front office values Beal.
“The best advice that you can get is don’t listen to any advice. Because everyone is telling you that you can get all these things for Bradley and do all that. I said, yeah, but you can go 10 years and not find another Bradley Beal in the draft…he’s such a special player but more importantly, he’s an unbelievable person,” Sheppard explained.
Beal, who inked a two-year extension back in 2019, is eligible for another extension this summer and Washington will attempt to get the shooting guard to sign. There’s no doubt that the franchise wants to make Beal a Wizard for life.
“We built this entire team around Bradley. He’s our future…the way he shows up every day and puts in his work, that’s what you want as your leader,” the GM continued.
Beal was the second-youngest player in the draft when the Wizards selected him in 2012 and he and Sheppard, who was serving under Ernie Grunfeld at the time, have grown within the organization together. The Wizards aren’t taking Beal’s loyalty for granted; they know they have to win in order to continue to have the All-Star’s trust.
“We’ve always kind of just told each other, hey, straight-line conversation: if you didn’t hear it from me, it didn’t happen. If you got something on your mind, come to me” Sheppard said “…There’s no BS between us.”
After a rough start to the season that included injuries to starters like Thomas Bryant and a stretch of COVID-related blips, the franchise is in a good position to make the play-in tournament. It’s not the end goal but it’s a step in the right direction for the franchise and it’s something that gives the front office hope about the team they put around Beal.
