Bradley Beal Contract Extension Just Makes Him Better Trade Bait for Wizards Down the Line

The Washington Wizards essentially just signed a couple of future high draft picks this week.

The team inked Bradley Beal to a contract extension Thurday, so they will have him for the long term...in theory. However, whether this makes Beal a Wizard for his next several seasons, or simply sweetens his potential trade package is yet to be determined.

Beal is under contract to stay in Washington through 2022, and also has a player option for the 2022-23 season, which, if he takes it, would be making him $130 million richer over the next four years.

Beal is obviously a good centerpiece or assistant on a winning team, but with the Wiz going nowhere, this additional control will bode well for them come trade season. John Wall looks unlikely to play this year, the Isaiah Thomas signing will matter very little, and there's not much else to like here, outside of a few lottery-ticket rookies.

Rui Hachimura, Mortiz Wagner, and Admiral Schofield could be contributors for the Wizards, but they are unlikely to develop enough to overcome nagging injuries to the team's stars this year and even place Washington in the realm of semi-relevance. This might be the worst roster in the league, with Beal in tow. So why not maximize the desirability of Beal as an asset?

Miami is dreaming of the sharpshooter's arrival, and this shouldn't do anything to soften their calls.

Now, he's only poised to be part of a more desirable package.