Potentially disgruntled superstar the Portland Trail Blazers should monitor: Bradley Beal
Perhaps no star has been more patient with his dysfunctional front office than Bradley Beal, aside from maybe Damian Lillard of course.
The tension seems to be mounting though. It’s not necessarily anything the Washington Wizards have been doing in particular. The Wizards managed to trade what was initially thought to be an immovable stinker of a contract in John Wall for Russell Westbrook, and their newly formed star backcourt brought DC back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
The defects of playing on a losing team seem to be taking its toll on Beal, however. The drama first arose following the guard’s exclusion from the 2019-2020 All-Star game as both Beal and his wife, Kamiah Adams-Beal, took their frustration public.
Adams-Beal found herself back in the public eye, following a discourse with NBA2K’s public relations figurehead, Ronnie2K, on twitter.
Don’t flatter yourself. Your ratings are just a joke. I Call it how I see it. I’m sure you’ll run into a few others that share the same belief though. & ps, the game is trash. Carry on. https://t.co/NEsKnUbZK7
— Kamiah Adams-Beal (@KamiahAdams) August 20, 2021
This came after Ronnie2K announced Bradley Beal’s rating of 89 in the upcoming release of the 2021-2022 version of NBA2K.
For what it’s worth, Beal has reason to be frustrated as that rating puts him below less experienced stars such as Zion Williamson, Trae Young, and Jayson Tatum. This came after two straight seasons in which the Washington Wizards superstar finished in the top-two in scoring.
It’s obvious that a big reason for the continued disrespect that Beal has received stems from playing on a losing team, surrounded by little talent. He has a player option for the 2022-2023 season. If the Wizards brass suspect that Beal will opt out following another disappointing season, they might agree to ship him out for cents on the dollar rather than risk losing him for nothing.
One more slight could push Beal (and his wife) over the edge and force Washington’s hand. If so, the Blazers should be ready to remodel their superstar backcourt.