Bradley Beal's agent met with Wizards management before Monday's blowout loss to Heat, per report

Beal can become a free agent after the season

One way or another, Bradley Beal's future with the Washington Wizards is going to be determined in the near future. The former All-Star guard is eligible to become a free agent this offseason. Washington's goal, to this point, has been securing his signature on a five-year, $241 million extension that would presumably keep him with the Wizards for the remainder of his prime. 

Beal, 28, has refused to make such a commitment, and while reports have suggested that his preference would be to remain with the Wizards and win in Washington, he has made it clear that he plans to keep his options open. "Ultimately you have to be selfish at some point," Beal said in December. If his primary goal is to compete for championships in the near future, the selfish and prudent decision would be to leave the Wizards. At 24-29, they are currently on the outside of the play-in looking in. 

On Monday, they played their final game before the trade deadline and were bludgeoned by the Miami Heat, 121-100. Beal, meanwhile, was inactive for the fourth straight game with a sprained ligament in his left wrist.

What happened before that game, though, could prove to be significantly more important. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reported that Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, met with Wizards management on Monday. What exactly was discussed is not clear, but given the timing of the meeting, Beal's future in Washington was surely a topic of note.

The Wizards, to this point, have reportedly held Beal out of trade talks. Until Beal tells them that he does not want to be in Washington, the famously tanking-averse Wizards will likely do everything in their power to keep and support him. Bartelstein's meeting with the Wizards may have been as simple as relaying Beal's preferred deadline targets to his front office. It should also be noted that Bartelstein represents Wizards rookie Corey Kispert, so for all we know, the meeting was not about Beal at all. 

But eventually, Beal and the Wizards are going to have to determine what his future looks like. If Beal were to leave Washington, doing so now would be in both his own and his team's best interest. If Beal were to leave as a free agent, he would be limited to a four-year free-agent contract with only five percent annual raises rather than the five-year pact he can receive from his incumbent team. The Wizards would have significantly less leverage in sign-and-trade negotiations than they do now, when they can dangle him to teams in the championship picture. If ever there was a time to seriously explore Beal's trade market, it would be now.