Suns Coach Candidates Were Asked How They Would Utilize Bradley Beal

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Phoenix Suns are expected to continue to explore trade options for guard Bradley Beal. As it was last season, Beal's no-trade clause is expected to complicate finding a trade that is acceptable to both the Suns and to Beal.

As such, when Phoenix was interviewing head coaching candidates, those candidates were asked how they would utilize Beal, should he stay on the roster for next season. Ultimately, Jordan Ott, who will be introduced as the Suns next head coach on Tuesday, will have to figure out how to incorporate the veteran guard.

A buyout is considered to be somewhat unlikely for Beal, as he would be asked to give up a considerable amount of salary. In order for the Suns to be able to waive-and-stretch the remainder of his deal, Phoenix would need the shooting guard to give up a large chunk of the nearly $111 million he is owed. Beal is owed $53.6 million for next season and holds a $57.8 million player option for the 2026-27 season.

Via Marc Stein/The Stein Line

[AwesomeLife]

Would imagine half of them left the room after this question

[kenwood3333]

Play him Thib style, resulting in medical retirement and insurance covers the rest of the salary, save owner's monies.

They should ask candidate show to deal with idiot owners instead.

[Pickled Prunes]

This is kind of a blind spot for most people on these boards. Yes, Beal is overpaid, but he's still a good player. He's not a $60m player, but he was still under utilized and an afterthought in the offense. Beal was 16th in PPG amongst shooting guards. Only two SG's in the top 50 in PPG had a better FG%. They 100% should be asking coaching prospects how they plan on maximizing Beal.

[beefymajesto]

Beal has never been a winner. Had some fire back when it was him and wall but that has long been out. Years of putting up stats on a losing team has left him broken.

[ghillphx]

This is kind of a blind spot for most people on these boards. Yes, Beal is overpaid, but he's still a good player. He's not a $60m player, but he was still under utilized and an afterthought in the offense. Beal was 16th in PPG amongst shooting guards. Only two SG's in the top 50 in PPG had a better FG%. They 100% should be asking coaching prospects how they plan on maximizing Beal.

This is on Beal, no one else. Dude isn’t consistent at all in his aggression. I’ve watched 90% of the suns games since he’s been with the team, he has flashes of a good or great player, but he doesn’t bring it nightly.

[pushfloater]

Play him Thib style, resulting in medical retirement and insurance covers the rest of the salary, save owner's monies.

They should ask candidate show to deal with idiot owners instead.

LOL

[Pickled Prunes]

This is kind of a blind spot for most people on these boards. Yes, Beal is overpaid, but he's still a good player. He's not a $60m player, but he was still under utilized and an afterthought in the offense. Beal was 16th in PPG amongst shooting guards. Only two SG's in the top 50 in PPG had a better FG%. They 100% should be asking coaching prospects how they plan on maximizing Beal.

This is on Beal, no one else. Dude isn’t consistent at all in his aggression. I’ve watched 90% of the suns games since he’s been with the team, he has flashes of a good or great player, but he doesn’t bring it nightly.

Did you watch him in WAS? I promise you, he's the same player that got overpaid on a max deal. There were times in WAS where he was the #1,2 and 3; he had to have the ball in his hands; In PHX, he was the clear #3. His USG% last season was his lowest since his rookie season. He was treated like a #0, and frankly, so was Tyus Jones, who should have been a key part of their success. If they would have been running things through their best PG, all three stars would have had easier seasons. Instead, Beal was the odd man out as Booker and KD took turns and Beal was expected to make his mark with the bench unit. (Very similar to how Love was treated in CLE in the Lebron/Love/Kyrie era. Lebron was always on the floor with at least two starters and Love was often on the floor as the only starter... which lead to fans often complaining about his single game +/-.)

None of this is to suggest that Beal is a $60m play; he is not. All I'm saying is that he should be evaluated by what he brings to the table and not what he brings to the bank. It's similar to how Tobias Harris got treated by PHI fans when he continued to deliver the same stats he was putting up when PHI gave him the extension. Beal was brought in as a shooter. In PHX he has had two of his three best shooting seasons of his career... maybe treat him like the elite shooter that he is and get him more shots.

Tyus is almost certainly gone, that ship has sailed, but PHX needs their next coach to get something out of Beal. Moving KD should help Booker and Beal.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

The problem is Beal plays for a paycheck and it totally outwardly selfish about it. He's like Paul George in that aspect. He's never going to go full speed and he's never going to give you 110% out there. So I guess if I were a coach, I'd utilize Beal exactly how the last coach utilized him. He'd be a scoring deep threat in a reduced role. You need to hide him on defense while he's out there. He'd basically be what Buddy Hield is. That's probably the best you can hope for out of Beal at this point.

[ghillphx]

This is kind of a blind spot for most people on these boards. Yes, Beal is overpaid, but he's still a good player. He's not a $60m player, but he was still under utilized and an afterthought in the offense. Beal was 16th in PPG amongst shooting guards. Only two SG's in the top 50 in PPG had a better FG%. They 100% should be asking coaching prospects how they plan on maximizing Beal.

This is on Beal, no one else. Dude isn’t consistent at all in his aggression. I’ve watched 90% of the suns games since he’s been with the team, he has flashes of a good or great player, but he doesn’t bring it nightly.

Did you watch him in WAS? I promise you, he's the same player that got overpaid on a max deal. There were times in WAS where he was the #1,2 and 3; he had to have the ball in his hands; In PHX, he was the clear #3. His USG% last season was his lowest since his rookie season. He was treated like a #0, and frankly, so was Tyus Jones, who should have been a key part of their success. If they would have been running things through their best PG, all three stars would have had easier seasons. Instead, Beal was the odd man out as Booker and KD took turns and Beal was expected to make his mark with the bench unit. (Very similar to how Love was treated in CLE in the Lebron/Love/Kyrie era. Lebron was always on the floor with at least two starters and Love was often on the floor as the only starter... which lead to fans often complaining about his single game +/-.)

None of this is to suggest that Beal is a $60m play; he is not. All I'm saying is that he should be evaluated by what he brings to the table and not what he brings to the bank. It's similar to how Tobias Harris got treated by PHI fans when he continued to deliver the same stats he was putting up when PHI gave him the extension. Beal was brought in as a shooter. In PHX he has had two of his three best shooting seasons of his career... maybe treat him like the elite shooter that he is and get him more shots.

Tyus is almost certainly gone, that ship has sailed, but PHX needs their next coach to get something out of Beal. Moving KD should help Booker and Beal.

Yeah, time to move on from KD. Isbhia sucks.