Bradley Beal’s time with the Phoenix Suns is reportedly nearing an end, and he could become a great asset for a new team.
After years of mediocre and underwhelming performances, Bradley Beal’s time with the Phoenix Suns looks to be coming to an end.
The former All-Star was someone the Suns desperately wanted to trade. But the unfortunate no-trade clause in Beal’s contract meant they couldn’t agree to any deal without his consent.
With the Suns being forced to trade Kevin Durant instead, it marks the beginning of a rebuild. As such, the Suns decided to move on from Beal too.
The Suns had to convince Beal to give up $14 million in any buyout to comply with the NBA’s waive-and-stretch rule. And according to Brett Siegel, it appears they have managed to do so, as news of an agreed buyout between the two sides is imminent.
With Beal set to become a free agent imminently, which team should sign him for the next season? We came up with three strong landing spots for the shooting guard.
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images1. Los Angeles Lakers
Bradley Beal could be a strong addition for the LA Lakers as they look to retool their roster and build a contending team.
Despite not being an All-Star anymore, Beal still averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds last season.
One of the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses was finding a scorer off the bench to complement LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves.
Beal, if he accepts a bench role, could provide the Lakers with excellent bench scoring and lead the second unit during games while their stars rest.
Plus, Scott Brooks, Beal’s coach from the Wizards during his most successful tenure, is an assistant coach on the Los Angeles Lakers, which could help Beal rediscover his old form.
2. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat could be an interesting landing spot for Bradley Beal. After missing out on Kevin Durant, the Heat could add Beal as a veteran player to lead this rebuilding team.
The Heat refused to take Beal’s contract in a Jimmy Butler trade ahead of the deadline, which led to the Golden State Warriors capitalizing and trading for him.
Adding Beal could allow the Heat to add some scoring to their young roster that isn’t necessarily equipped to handle the offensive load in the NBA.
Plus, signing Beal to a one-year deal still allows the Heat to maintain flexibility ahead of the 2026 NBA offseason.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have made a lot of controversial moves in this offseason so far. The biggest one is waiving Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner.
With Lillard now gone, the Bucks desperately need scoring at the guard position. Why not target Beal, who has shown he can put up strong numbers?
Beal would also complement Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he is a strong shooter and can add additional spacing to the side.
Adding Beal to a team-friendly deal will also help the Bucks maneuver around the cap hit they took by stretching Lillard’s buyout.
Bradley Beal must remind NBA teams of his value
Bradley Beal may have been happy with his situation in Phoenix, but the rest of the NBA took stock of his value during this time.
His score-first mentality, coupled with his inflexible stance with the Suns made Beal a negative asset in the eyes of many NBA GMs.
If he wants to go back to earning max dollars in the league again, he must treat this next stint with the utmost seriousness.
Beal must try to replicate his best performances in the NBA, and remind teams that he can be a great scorer in the league.