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Bradley Beal becomes the second Wizard ever to score 12,000 points, joining Elvin Hayes

By Bijan Todd

Bradley Beal becomes the second Wizard ever to score 12,000 points originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Bradley Beal is an elite scorer. During the second quarter of Washington’s game vs. Miami on Wednesday, Beal surpassed the 12,000 career point mark, a feat which has only been accomplished by one other player in franchise history. 

With an explosive drive capped off by a left-handed layup with just under 6:00 remaining in the first half against the Heat, Beal scored his 12,001st point in the NBA. The only other player in franchise history to reach the 12,000-point mark was Elvin Hayes, who went on to score over 27,000 during his career, 15,551 of which he scored as a Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullet.

‘The Big E’ spent nine seasons with the Bullets, winning a championship with the team in 1978. Hayes currently stands as the 10th-highest scorer in NBA history.

The 12,000-point milestone wasn’t the only bit of history Bradley Beal accomplished on Wednesday night. He ended up with 32 points on the evening, making it his 17th consecutive game with at least 25 points to start a season–the fifth-longest such streak in NBA history.

The player he passed on that list? Michael Jordan. Yes, THE Michael Jordan–who did it twice. Beal’s 17-game streak bested Jordan’s marks of 16 and 13 games, which he did in 1988 and 1986, respectively. The all-time leader on that list is Wilt Chamberlain, who set the NBA record in 1961-62, when he scored at least 25 in all 80 games of the season.

The Wizards drafted Bradley Beal with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after the shooting guard spent one season with the University of Florida. Since his first season in Washington, Beal has solidified himself as one of the most electric guards in the league, becoming a two-time All-Star in the process.

Beal’s scoring has reached a career-high this season, as the St. Louis native leads the league with 35.0 points per game—a sizeable lead over the current runner-up, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant who posts a 30.8 ppg clip. Beal is also Washington’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals and three-point attempts. He also posts a 26.12 Player Efficiency Rating this season, good enough for eighth in the NBA.

Report: Wizards interested in trade for All-Star Donovan Mitchell

By Chase Hughes
Report: Wizards interested in Donovan Mitchell originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWhile the NBA offseason has slowed down with the draft, free agency and Summer League behind us, there are still several high-profile stars who could be traded before training camp opens. According to a report by the Athletic, the Wizards have expressed interest in one of them and, no, it's not Kevin Durant.Shams Charania of the Athletic says the Wizards have contacted the Utah Jazz about star guard Donovan Mitchell. Here is what Charania wrote Monday morning:"Along with New York, several other teams have expressed interest to the Jazz when it comes to Mitchell, such as Washington, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Sacramento and Atlanta, according to sources."Mitchell is a three-time All-Star and he's only 25 years old, so getting him would be a tremendous feat for the Wizards who could then pair him with Bradley Beal, also a three-time All-Star. Beal and Mitchell would form one of the best offensive duos in the NBA. Both technically play the same position at shooting guard, but they can each handle the ball and make plays for others. Acquiring Mitchell would set aside any perceived overlap and focus on the simple fact the Wizards would have two very good players to build around.Getting such a deal done, however, would definitely be difficult. After the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a collection of players, four first-round picks and a pick swap, the price for stars has seemingly been subject to inflation. The 2023, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks sent to Utah are unprotected, for instance.The fact the Jazz were the team that agreed to that trade would suggest it's a fairly accurate framework for what it would take to acquire Mitchell. And if they want even more first-round picks, that could put the Wizards at a disadvantage, as they still have their firsts from 2023 through 2026 tied up in protections due to the John Wall-Russell Westbrook trade.If the Jazz wanted three first-round picks and a pick swap, the Wizards could not currently offer that. NBA teams can only trade draft picks up to seven years in the future and the next four firsts for the Wizards are currently part of the Wall-Westbrook deal.Mitchell, though, is the type of talent that a team like the Wizards could justify getting creative for. He's a very dynamic player and young enough to where he should have many years left in his prime. If they got Mitchell, he and Beal would likely make them a perennial playoff team with a chance to go on deep postseason runs.There are considerable hurdles for a deal to get done, but the Wizards are evidently still trying to improve the roster and are thinking big.
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