In a surprising move this offseason, the Washington Wizards bid farewell to their star player, Bradley Beal, trading him to the Phoenix Suns after his 11-year tenure with the team.
The trade marked a significant shift in the Wizards’ strategy, as the new front office opted for building a younger team for the future.
In a recent interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic, the 30-year-old shooting guard candidly shared his perspective on how he learned about the Wizards’ decision to part ways with him.
“But on the same foot, having a new conversation with the front office, it was, I don’t want to say ‘a sigh of relief,’ but it was kind of like addressing the elephant in the room in some ways. It kind of was like popping a big balloon that kind of inflated — like, ‘What are we doing?’ It was kind of like getting out of limbo,” Beal said.
“So, to hear that they wanted to go in the direction of building younger and moving me to a potential contender — it was tough to hear. But in the same light, I kind of embraced it and just looked at it as another opportunity for me to look at a new chapter in my career, as tough a decision as it was.”
Since joining the Phoenix Suns, Beal’s time has been challenging, with injuries limiting his appearances to just six out of the team’s 26 games. In these outings, he has averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 25.2 minutes per game.
