Bradley Beal ended up 160 points away from becoming the Washington Wizards’ all-time scorer.
That fact wasn’t lost on the three-time All-Star who was traded to the Phoenix Suns earlier this month.
In a goodbye letter to fans in the District, Beal left the door open to possibly returning to the Wizards one day — and thanked them for all their support over the years. Beal, the third overall pick in 2012, spent 11 seasons with Washington en route to becoming the franchise’s second all-time leading scorer.
Beal, with 15,391 points, leaves Washington narrowly behind Elvin Hayes (15,551).
“To everyone in DC: It’s bittersweet. I don’t like how ‘goodbye’ sounds, so let’s just say ‘see you later.’ (We still got 160 to get!! You never know.),” Beal wrote in a letter for The Players’ Tribune. “Peace, Blessings, and Prosperity to the city and fans. I hope you’ll always consider me one of your own.”
The Wizards traded Beal for a package that included guard Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, six second-round picks and four first-round pick swaps. Washington then flipped Paul to the Golden State Warriors for a haul centered around guard Jordan Poole.
Beal’s exit comes just a year after the 29-year-old signed a five-year, $251 million extension. The contract also included a no-trade clause that gave Beal significant leverage over the trade. Beal ultimately chose to play in Phoenix, where he’ll team up with stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
“One thing I’m realizing about this team is that the days of my sons wearing BEAL #3 jerseys are probably over. I’m pretty sure they’re going to be asking for #1 or #35,” Beal said of his trade to Phoenix. “But I’ll take that L — this group has a chance to be special.”
Beal, though, spent most of his letter dedicated to his time with the Wizards. Beal recalled how much faith the city and franchise put in him — along with his playoff experience with co-star John Wall.
“I can still picture the look on John’s face, before Game 6 against the Celtics in 2017, as we were talking to each other in warmups,” Beal said. “We didn’t even need to be talking — that’s how much we were on the same page about that game. It’s like we knew how anything could happen in a Game 7 in Boston, and we almost could live with that … but we weren’t losing TONIGHT. You know what I mean? It was like, Tonight we’re putting DC on our back. Memories like those will stay with me forever.”
