Wizards’ Beal has surgery to repair torn wrist ligament

WASHINGTON (AP) Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal had surgery Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, the team said.

Beal opted earlier this week to have the season-ending surgery. A three-time All-Star, Beal averaged 23.2 points and a career-high 6.6 assists in 40 games before he suffered the torn scapholunate ligament on Jan. 29 at Memphis.

Beal’s surgery was performed by Dr. Michele Carson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

The Wizards had hoped to build around Beal after the departure of his backcourt mate, John Wall, but the team has not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2017. Beal is due to make $36.4 million next season, after which he would become a free agent.

»We all look at him as a foundational piece. He’s been here 10 years, he’s been the longest-tenured in this group,» coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. »For me as a coach, you want a guy like Brad Beal in the foxhole with you.»

While Beal has long been the subject of trade rumors, the Wizards were busy with other deals on Thursday.

The team traded Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to the Dallas Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis and shipped Montrezl Harrell to the Charlotte Hornets for Ish Smith, Vernon Carey Jr. and two draft picks, people familiar with the deals told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the trades had not been announced.

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