Bradley Beal losses important Washington Wizards record to hurt legacy there

If there is one player who Phoenix Suns fans have struggled to warm to this season, it is Bradley Beal. Not because of who he is as a person - truly does come across as a great guy who actually wants to be in Phoenix - but because of what he represents for the franchise at this point in his career.

He's a 31-year-old former All-Star who misses games through injury, doesn't look like he is ever going to get back to past offensive glories, and who is holding the organization up financially with the massive contract he is currently on. One that was given to him by the Washington Wizards don't forget, and which he would have been crazy not to sign at the time.

Jordan Poole is beginning to erase his accolades in Washington.

The Wizards continue to be a mess this season - but if you've been paying attention - then you'll know that things are starting to change over there. Yes they're going through another rebuild, but they've also got veterans who know how to handle a long season in Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart. Guys who - if nothing else - bring a level of professionalism to the youngsters on the roster.

Then there is Jordan Poole who - despite actually turning in a respectable season by his own standards - continues to be viewed as a source of fun on social media. Make no mistake, some of his shot selection is still ridiculous, while he's not the star in waiting the Wizards thought he would be when they brought him in.

Which makes Poole breaking the above record for most 3-pointers in a season - and taking it from Beal no less - more poignant. Beal actually had the opportunity to go back to Washington at the deadline - they were the only team in the league willing to trade for him - and the thought process was that he might go back to become the Wizards' all-time leading scorer.

He left just 160 points shy of Elvin Hayes for that record, but the allure of becoming potentially the best player in franchise history - in much the same way Devin Booker is attempting to do the same in Phoenix - was thought to be appealing. Especially with the Suns going nowhere and Beal as likely to win a championship in Washington as he is Phoenix as things currently stand.

In the end he didn't go for that, but you have to wonder if Poole chipping away at his numbers there makes him think twice about that decision. Suns fans would be happy to see him go, while those in Washington will always have a soft spot for him. His no-trade clause means he's in control of the situation as well, meaning he could engineer a move back if he really wanted to.

It could get worse, because there is a real chance that Duke phenom Cooper Flagg will end up with the Wizards this summer, depending on how the lottery balls fall ahead of the NBA Draft. The combination of Flagg and Poole really would make the Beal/John Wall tandem of the past even more forgotten, and all so Beal can come off the bench in Phoenix. This one has got to hurt.