The expectations were high for the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns with Mike Budenholzer as the captain of a squad with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Then things got real and the Suns finished with a record of 36-46, good for 11th in the Western Conference. Durant only played 62 games while Beal played 53 contests.
Budenholzer has been replaced. Durant has been traded. Now, Beal could be out. On Thursday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reported that the Suns are discussing a possible buyout of the guard. Beal has two years, $110 million left on his contract.
Beal is 32 years old and was the third overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was an inefficient shooter early on, but went from 41% his rookie season to 51% two seasons ago. His peak years were in 2017 and 2018 with the Wizards when he played all 164 games and averaged 24.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.5 treys while shooting 46% from the field, 36% from downtown and 80% from the line. He made the All-Star team both seasons.
After that, while he averaged over 30 points per game the next two seasons, Beal played at least 60 games in a season just once.
In addition, Father Time has sapped some juice from his legs and he’s never been a great defensive player, both on and off the ball.
So, the Suns are a young, rebuilding team and Beal likely wouldn’t be a fit. He will likely want to go to a contender, but which contenders need a shooter who’s a liability on defense?
The Golden State Warriors could be a possible fit and have been mentioned as a team that could be interested. Golden State is trying to maximize the few remaining years of the Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green window. Beal has played shooting guard and small forward in his career, so he could supplant either Brandin Podziemski or Buddy Hield in the starting lineup. Green and Butler could mitigate some of the shortcomings of Beal on defense while the movement of the Warriors offense and gravity that Curry and Butler command could afford plenty of open looks on offense. In addition, while Beal has fallen off, he’s still a professional getter of buckets, which could take pressure off of Curry and Butler.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Beal, but I’m not buying it. That said, I didn’t think they would want Deandre Ayton so….In Los Angeles, Beal would likely come off the bench, which is a role I have some doubts that Beal would accept. If he did, Beal could provide some scoring juice off the bench, which could take some of the load off of Doncic, LeBron and Reaves. I’m not sure J. J. Redick could handle Deandre Ayton and Beal on the court at the same time, though.
The Miami Heat weren’t interested in trading for Beal due to his age and contract, but if Beal is bought out, then that changes the calculus. A backcourt of Tyler Herro and Beal would be brutal on defense, but Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware could negate some of their shortcomings. On offense, though, is where things get tricky. Davion Mitchell has improved his shooting and playmaking while being a rugged defender. Would Beal supplant him in the starting lineup? Could Beal come off the bench to be the guy on the second unit? I have doubts about that. That said, Beal did show interest in playing for the Heat in the past and Pat Riley isn’t scared to take swings.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the third team that has been mentioned as a potential suitor if Beal gets bought out. Giannis Antetokounmpo supposedly wasn’t thrilled about the release of Damian Lillard, but bringing on someone with the offensive caliber like Beal could quell some of the angst. Beal has played some point guard in the past, so he and Gary Trent Jr. could occupy the backcourt while Kyle Kuzma, Giannis and Myles Turner man the front court. The perimeter defense would be atrocious, but Giannis and Turner would man the paint. This iteration of the Bucks would have shooters galore surrounding Giannis while Beal still has some ISO chops to get up shots in the midrange if needed.
The Orlando Magic made it a priority to acquire shooting this offseason. Mission accomplished, as they now have Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones and Jase Richardson in the backcourt. With Jalen Suggs expected to be ready for the start of the upcoming season after undergoing knee surgery, the depth chart looks full, especially with Anthony Black there as well. That said, what if Suggs has a setback? What if Jase’s shooting doesn’t translate and the diminutive size is a hindrance? Beal fits exactly what the Magic have been searching for this season.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in win-now mode. Granted, everything depends on the health of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Quentin Grimes played so well last season that he may have priced himself out of the 76ers range. If Grimes ends up somewhere else, that could open up some minutes at shooting guard.
