The Washington Wizards are currently below .500 with their 17-19 record but have won two consecutive road games against playoff teams and could be getting Bradley Beal back soon. Beal has been out for over a month now so getting him back is huge for Washington but the news on him isn't all positive. There is a possibility that Beal could be on a minute's restriction for the remainder of his NBA career, according to J. Michael of CSN Washington.
Beal is currently dealing with a stress reaction in his right fibula and the last time he played was on Dec. 9. This is the fourth time Beal has dealt with a stress reaction in his right fibula in his four seasons in the league and it seems to be a chronic issue for him. Before the extended absence for the leg issue Beal was averaging 36.5 minutes per game but when he comes back he likely won't be playing anywhere close to that amount on a daily basis.
Beal was asked about the potential of having a minutes limit when he returns to which he replied "probably, moving forward, through the rest of my career." This is extremely unfortunate news for Beal who is just 22 years old and looked like he was headed for stardom. Beal is in his fourth NBA season and is having a career year as he leads the Wizards with his 19.8 points per game but his health has always been an issue.
Beal was eligible for a contract extension this past offseason but the Wizards were hesitant to meet his demands because they were worried about his health and it turns out they were right. Beal is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season and was said to be looking for a max contract, but now that he has been hurt for the fourth straight year and may have a minutes cap moving forward that seems unlikely.
This chronic injury doesn't seem to be career threatening and it likely won't even prevent Beal from being a very good player but it is definitely a burden to have one of your best players constantly missing time. The reports suggest Beal will not be allowed to go over 35 minutes in any game which is very high for a minutes limit but either way this is tough news for a 22 year old budding star.
