Page 17 - AT

A17
Friday 18 OctOber 2019

Wizards

sign Beal AVS

to 2-year,

$72 million

extension LOSE

By TIM REYNOLDS
Bradley Beal signed a two-
year extension worth near-
ly $72 million with Washing-
ton on Thursday, a major
victory for the Wizards and
a move that will keep the
All-Star guard out of free
agency for at least the
next three summers.
Beal still had two years left
on his existing contract.
The extension kicks in for
the 2021-22 season, has a
player option for the fol-
lowing year and means
that Beal won't be part of
what has been shaping up
to be an NBA free-agent
extravaganza in the sum-
mer of 2021.
"It's a blessing, man — for
one, that they even con-
sider me a franchise play-
er, a piece of this organiza-
tion in itself," Beal said at a
news conference in Wash-
ington. "And I was prideful
of that. You don't get that
type of love and respect
and responsibility from
anywhere."
The Wizards were will-
ing to give Beal a three-
year extension that would
have been worth about
$111 million. Beal went
the two-year route and
that protects his future op-
tions — he could opt out
of the deal in the summer
of 2022, coinciding with his
10th year in the league.
The 10-year milestone is
significant: By having that
many years of service, Beal
would be eligible to sign a
new deal worth in excess Tanev lifts Penguins over Avalanche 3-2
of $250 million over the
next five seasons. “You ask
yourself a lot of questions
during free agency: Why Pittsburgh Penguins' Brandon Tanev (13) celebrates his overtime goal against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer
do people leave? Why do (31) during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019. The Penguins won 3-2.
they go other places?” Associated Press
Continued on Page 22 Page 20