Bradley Beal is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA right now. While his talent is often disregarded because of the lack of success his Washington Wizards have, there is no disputing Beal’s talent. He was one of the league leaders in scoring last season and is considered the perfect trade piece by many teams. His scoring ability is very valuable and that was apparent for a long time.

Back when Beal was deciding which college to go to, he was met with an interesting dilemma. Beal eventually went to Florida State University due to his relationship with Billy Donovan. However, he told J.J. Redick on his podcast that he almost came to Duke instead.

“Duke was my dream school. You guys were my dream school. Coach K (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) busts my balls every day, to this day, every time I see him. ‘You know you should have been in a Duke uniform. I can’t even stand the sight of you. I can’t stand to look at you.’ It’s so funny, every time I see him to this day. You (Redick), your craft, your energy, your passion, the cut-off t-shirt under the jersey. That was dope. I was a fan.”

Bradley Beal and his future

While Bradley Beal has surpassed the ‘more athletic J.J. Redick‘ comparison he got heading into the league, his future is quite uncertain. His Washington Wizards have struggled in the two years they have had to play without supermax player John Wall. Wall’s contract also means that Washington have had very little flexibility in building a competent team to challenge in the Eastern Conference.

Beal single-handedly led the Wizards this season, and managed to get his team invited to the bubble. However, Beal sat out the restart and his Wizards never stood a chance of qualifying. He signed a two-year contract extension last season but is in constant trade rumors away from Washington. Most teams would love to have a versatile scoring guard like Beat. Question is, is Washington willing to give him up before giving him and Wall one more shot together?