Bradley Beal was probably the biggest-name player to opt out of the Orlando bubble, but it likely would have been a different story if his team had a realistic chance of actually competing in the bubble.
Appearing this week on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein hinted that the All-Star guard would have participated in the resumed season if the Washington Wizards were in contention.
“If they were legit championship contenders this year, I’m sure there would have been a little different of a conversation,” said Bartelstein. “You gotta measure the risk and reward. And I don’t want to diminish the opportunity the Wizards have now because it’s a big moment for them. To make the playoffs would turn a season that was really gonna be a rebuild in a lot of ways. I don’t think anybody thought they’d have a chance to be a playoff team.
“He doesn’t diminish in any way the opportunity that was in front of him right now,” Bartelstein added. “But we met with [owner] Ted [Leonsis] and [GM] Tommy [Sheppard] and the medical staff. It’s just weighing everything and where he is in his career and what the future holds. This was the right thing, so we can put it behind us and not have it be a problem at all going forward.”
Beal, who was second in the NBA this season with 30.5 points a game, chose not to play in Orlando with the team citing a prior injury as the reason why. Wizards teammates John Wall and Davis Bertans also decided not to participate in the bubble.
While Bartelstein’s comments indicate that Beal could have pushed through the injury, the 24-40 Wizards were the worst team invited to Orlando and have a major uphill climb at 5.5 games back of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Still, some may disagree with Beal’s decision to sit out for apparently precautionary reasons, especially as the leader of the team.
