Wizards star Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending surgery for a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, Washington announced Tuesday. The team was hopeful that surgery could be ruled out and was considering various treatment options on the sprained ligament.
Beal, a three-time All-Star, averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game this season. He shot 45.1 percent from the field, and 30.3 percent from 3-point range.
"Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve," Beal said in a statement released by the team Tuesday. "I’m disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100 percent and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future.”
The 28-year-old was set to miss his fifth consecutive game on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets as a result of the injury. Washington has gone 1-3 during the four-game stretch without Beal, with all three losses coming by at least 14 points.
The Wizards (24-29) have lost eight of their last 10 games and are one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
(Photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images)
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What does Bradley Beal’s season-ending injury mean for the Washington Wizards’ future?
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What does losing Beal for the season mean for the Wizards?
Josh Robbins, Wizards beat writer: Washington already was showing signs of fading out before Beal’s injury, losing the last five games in which Beal had played.
The team has cratered further since then, including a defeat Saturday in which the Wizards trailed the league-leading Phoenix Suns by as many as 36 points and a defeat Monday night in which the Wizards trailed the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat by as many as 35 points.
It’s difficult to envision the Wizards doing anything but continuing to struggle and falling further behind in the play-in chase, and perhaps positioning itself to try to maximize its draft position.
Will the loss of Beal make Washington more active at the trade deadline?
Robbins: Just days ago, the Wizards were on track to attempt to add a quality veteran to their roster in an attempt to bolster their playoff chances: someone along the lines of Domantas Sabonis or Jerami Grant.
Now? With Beal out, it would seem foolhardy to give up a young player or a draft asset to try to revive the team’s evaporating playoff hopes. Players in the final seasons of their contracts — namely, Thomas Bryant and Montrezl Harrell — seem increasingly likely to be dealt.
What does this mean for Beal's future?
Robbins: Beal still seems to be on track to remain with the Wizards for the long term. He’ll be eligible this offseason to re-sign with Washington for five years and approximately $245 million. Remember, the Wizards will be the only team that will be permitted to offer him a five-year deal with 8 percent annual raises. Any other team would be relegated to offering him a four-year deal at 5 percent annual raises. So Beal will have extreme incentives to remain with the Wizards.
There’s no doubt that Beal will make a full recovery. But even before the injury, whether it made sense for the Wizards to commit such a massive amount of money to a player who has not shown he can carry a team on his own was an essential question for the franchise to ponder.