Bradley Beal, Suns Discussing Buyout

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Phoenix Suns have been discussing a possible buyout for guard Bradley Beal, according to league sources who informed The Arizona Republic. Beal has two years remaining on his contract totaling $110 million, and a buyout would make him a free agent. The three-time All-Star is on a five-year, $251 million deal that includes a no-trade clause signed with the Washington Wizards. 

Phoenix is more than $10 million over the second tax apron and needs cap relief. The Suns could reduce Beal's salary and stretch it over five years to manage their cap hit as they work toward compliance.

For example, a $90 million buyout stretched over five years would create an $18 million annual cap hit. The lesser the buyout amount, the more salary cap flexibility Phoenix would retain.

Phoenix traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets before the 2025 NBA Draft in a blockbuster deal. The Suns acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick, and five second-round selections in the trade, which becomes official July 6.

The Suns currently have a salary cap hit of $3.8 million, consisting of Nassir Little's $3.1 million and E.J. Liddell's $706,898. 

Beal averaged 17.6 points on 50.5% shooting, 4.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in two seasons with Phoenix. Despite shooting 40.7% from three-point range, he has struggled with injuries, playing only 53 games in each season.

The guard hasn't played at least 60 games since the 2020-21 season. Phoenix acquired Beal in a 2023 trade that sent Chris Paul to Washington, creating a Big 3 with Devin Booker and Durant that failed to meet championship expectations.

Via Duane Rankin/Arizona Republic

[Pickled Prunes]

This is so effing stupid. Beal is overpaid, but he averaged 18/4/4 on 50% shooting for the Suns. If he won't waive his no trade, make him play and earn his pay... and he'll be off your books in two years instead of five. Why prolong the pain when you aren't remotely ready to win now?

[bullsaficianado]

Suns are trying to get under the 2nd apron and Beal is like a pimple on it they got to pop. His numbers are ok but if they keep him they will stay above the 2nd apron.

[NoStatsGuy]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

[Roy T]

Pay your Beals!

[Roy T]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

He give a damn about pride and self respec for a hundred million dollars. Get real.

[NoStatsGuy]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

He give a damn about pride and self respec for a hundred million dollars. Get real.

You realize hell get his dollars regardless where hes playing, right? Im not saying he should forfeit his salary. But how can he walk into that facality knowing, that nobidy wants him there? He could waive his NTC and play for a team that trades for him and for whatever reason wants him. Apparently there are teams dumb enough. they are discussing a buy out because that fool refuses to get traded via his NTC.

He did the same thing with the wizards, who i am not sorry for because they gave him that contract.

[AwesomeLife]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

He give a damn about pride and self respec for a hundred million dollars. Get real.

Absolutely and thats 100mil that he won't make even till he retires. In today's NBA and his skillset and availability thats a 5-10mil player at best.
Not to mention he doesn't care about basketball. When players decline so fast and become injury prone so early its 90% cuz they are not taking care of themselves. Beal's game and availability fell off a cliff when he signed that max, but the biggest morons are the PHX taking that player with that contract... even if you get him for free to try to contend thats the worst deal in history... even worse than when Westbrook was on 50mil on the Lakers, cuz at least dumping him was an option instead of losing their superstar, because of him and having to restart a franchise that was on the right path to contend for championships right before they signed him... and if they buy him out they will have 20mil dead cap space for the next 5 years.

[bullsaficianado]

I agree he is being a dick. Suns engaged with Miami about trading him there recently. They likely think he will waive his NTC to go to Heat. They obviously prefer to trade him rather than a buyout.

[kenwood3333]

Sounds like a no brainier. He can take the Ayton route, get paid and sign with a playoff team/contender, restore his legacy.

[arasu]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

Nah. He specifically signed a contract with a no-trade clause, because he has nothing BUT respect for himself. He puts his family first, which is what a real man does. The sad whiney fans are meaningless to his self-respect.

[NoStatsGuy]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

Nah. He specifically signed a contract with a no-trade clause, because he has nothing BUT respect for himself. He puts his family first, which is what a real man does. The sad whiney fans are meaningless to his self-respect.

nah bro, i dont even care about the suns or anything. but that is a weak ass argument, im sorry.

you have a job, that pays you generational wealth which requires you to be available for 6-9 months depending how the team fares. in beals case hes free in april most the time. because hes a loser.

you can visit your family any time you want, you can have multiple houses for a short amount of time, that turn into investments after your career, you can facetime all day and you can just fly your family aroudn the world as much as you want. i understand its not the same as a regular 9 to 5, where you at home every evening. but its not like hes dissapearing from planet earth for 15 years.

completely mailing it in and staying in a situation where you are unwanted and a laughing stock around the league is not "putting his family first". Your nba career is a very short period of time. im not buying this family first stuff. he doesnt give a flying fluff about his nba career, that literally what it is. not a lot of self respect.

[saloonyk8]

A buyout is foolish and short sighted, tell Beal he can sit at home the entire season and get paid or he can waive his no trade clause. He has 2 years left let’s see if he wants to be out of basketball for an entire season

[og15]

This is so effing stupid. Beal is overpaid, but he averaged 18/4/4 on 50% shooting for the Suns. If he won't waive his no trade, make him play and earn his pay... and he'll be off your books in two years instead of five. Why prolong the pain when you aren't remotely ready to win now?

Have to take into account the 2nd apron and the additional restrictions those bring.

First apron:
Sign-and-trades are not permitted if the player acquired keeps the team above the apron.

Cannot sign players who were waived during the regular season if their salary is above the mid-level exception.

Salary matching in trades has to be within 110% instead of the 125% teams in good standing get.


Second apron:

Includes all first-apron penalties

Cannot have access to the MLE in free agency or absorbing contracts.

Cannot trade first-round picks from seven years out.

Cannot use trade exceptions from previous years.

Cannot use cash in trades.

First round pick moves straight to the end of the first round if the team stays in the second apron for three of five years.
---

Teams don't want to constantly have those restrictions, teams don't want to have that 3/5 years situation, and definitely don't want to waste a 2nd apron season on a non contending roster.

[beefman]

Bradley beal should be ashamed of himself.

If you are unwanted and people tell you to f off, what makes him think "yea im happy here, im gonna stay". Does he not have a single ounce of pride or self respect in him?

if the team doesn't want him, they can release him. you sound selfish. you want him to sacrifice for the team

[Rek]

This is so effing stupid. Beal is overpaid, but he averaged 18/4/4 on 50% shooting for the Suns. If he won't waive his no trade, make him play and earn his pay... and he'll be off your books in two years instead of five. Why prolong the pain when you aren't remotely ready to win now?

I don't disagree with you at all. However, I get the impression that they have burned their bridges with Beal to the point where they have no options other than to trade or waive him at this point.

Ishbia is entirely at fault for this mess. He is the reason they traded for Beal when the rest of the world knew it was a terrible idea. Then they blatantly tossed his name out there this past season without even consulting him first, knowing full well that he has an NTC. Seriously, some of the worst FO antics we've seen in years. This guy needs to shut his yap and stop meddling.

[WiggOuts]

the way some of the posters on here spew pure hatred towards people the dont even know is scary, i hope yall can find the help you need 100.

after trading KD whats the point of going to this length to get rid of Beal, they would be handicapping themselves because of impatience. theyre not winning anything anyway, just play him and he might recoup some value or at least hell have more value as an expiring next year.

people keep trying to put all the blame on beal while sidestepping PHOs FO, they created this situation and soured it for everyone

[sunsfan1o1]

Buying Beal out would be worse than trading for him in the first place. Just let it be.
Beal is still good.

[Pickled Prunes]

This is so effing stupid. Beal is overpaid, but he averaged 18/4/4 on 50% shooting for the Suns. If he won't waive his no trade, make him play and earn his pay... and he'll be off your books in two years instead of five. Why prolong the pain when you aren't remotely ready to win now?

Have to take into account the 2nd apron and the additional restrictions those bring.

First apron:
Sign-and-trades are not permitted if the player acquired keeps the team above the apron.

Cannot sign players who were waived during the regular season if their salary is above the mid-level exception.

Salary matching in trades has to be within 110% instead of the 125% teams in good standing get.


Second apron:

Includes all first-apron penalties

Cannot have access to the MLE in free agency or absorbing contracts.

Cannot trade first-round picks from seven years out.

Cannot use trade exceptions from previous years.

Cannot use cash in trades.

First round pick moves straight to the end of the first round if the team stays in the second apron for three of five years.
---

Teams don't want to constantly have those restrictions, teams don't want to have that 3/5 years situation, and definitely don't want to waste a 2nd apron season on a non contending roster.

Yep, I get all that... but this is talking about trying to remove handcuffs for two years and replacing them with an ankle weight for five years. This isn't Lillard with a torn Achilles; this is a player that could be giving them 20/5/5 under a new coach, a new system and a few extra shots after the KD departure. It's sheer incompetence!

[Pickled Prunes]

This is so effing stupid. Beal is overpaid, but he averaged 18/4/4 on 50% shooting for the Suns. If he won't waive his no trade, make him play and earn his pay... and he'll be off your books in two years instead of five. Why prolong the pain when you aren't remotely ready to win now?

I don't disagree with you at all. However, I get the impression that they have burned their bridges with Beal to the point where they have no options other than to trade or waive him at this point.

Ishbia is entirely at fault for this mess. He is the reason they traded for Beal when the rest of the world knew it was a terrible idea. Then they blatantly tossed his name out there this past season without even consulting him first, knowing full well that he has an NTC. Seriously, some of the worst FO antics we've seen in years. This guy needs to shut his yap and stop meddling.

If the bridge is burned, Beal still has a lot of options. He can:
Waive his NTC and let PHX send him to whoever is interested.
He can play his arse off in hopes that a contender comes knocking. Worst case, he proves that he's not a bum, opts out of his final year and chooses his team in 2026.

PHX also has options:
Ask him to be professional, play hard, waive his NTC and they will try and get him to his preferred destination.
Insist that he show up and play, regardless of hurt feelings.
Allow Beal to stay home and waste what might be the last two good years of his career.

Worst case scenario, Beal comes off their books right when PHX looks like they may be ready to compete again. It makes zero sense to stretch the pain out for five years when there is so little chance that they will be competitive this season or next. At the very least, I would hold off until next season and stretch him over 3 years.

And yes, it's 100% Ishbia's fault.