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Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, leaving open the possibility he could sign with a new team.

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Latest on Beal's Contract Status

Friday, May 27

"The Wizards are expected to offer Beal a five-year deal for the maximum amount allowed under the salary cap as soon as the free-agent negotiating period kicks off on July 1, according to people with knowledge of the situation," noted Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

Beal Gunning for a Max Contract

Monday, May 23

Beal confirmed to Castillo he wants a max contract this offseason and will consider playing elsewhere if the Wizards don't offer him one:

I want to be valued the right way. I feel like I'm a max player and that's what I'm looking for. If Washington can't meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that they probably won't [let me go]. At the end of the day, that's where I want to be. I think a deal will probably get done but you just never know.

Beal can begin fielding offers from other teams on July 1, and the Wizards would have 72 hours to match any deal. A max deal for Beal would likely be in the range of $23 million per season, assuming the cap settles in at $92 million next year.

Per Castillo, the Wizards have two major aces in their pocket: They can offer him a five-year contract, while other teams can only give him a four-year deal. And by owning his Bird rights, the Wizards can go over the cap to sign him.

Beal, 22, has established himself as one of the league's best young guards, averaging 17.4 points, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals in the 2015-16 season. His athleticism and outside stroke—he shoots 39.7 percent from beyond the arc for his career—paired with the fact that he is so young and still hasn't hit his peak make him highly valuable.

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But the former third overall pick in the 2012 draft played just 55 games this season, as another right fibula injury hampered him. In his first four NBA seasons, Beal has missed a total of 81 games.

“I hear about it all time, but that doesn’t define me as a player,” Beal told Castillo in regard to his injuries. “That won’t stop me from growing as a player, and it won’t stop me from being who I am. The injury thing, that’s behind me."

Surely, Beal will attract a lot of attention from interested teams despite those injuries, and the Wizards will be expected to aggressively attempt to keep their young star. Alongside John Wall, Beal forms one of the NBA's top backcourts, and having that core in place will be the team's primary selling point as it looks to attract another star—Kevin Durant being the oft-rumored name in that regard, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Beal seems just as keen to remain with the Wizards.

“I want to be in Washington,” Beal told Castillo. “I do. It just comes down to July 1st. I want to think about it a little bit, but this has been home for me. It’s great to have our core back and a new coach [Scott Brooks]. So things are changing. It’s just up to me and the front office to get it done.”

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