Phoenix Suns insider breaks down Bradley Beal contract buyout
The Suns bought out guard Bradley Beal’s contract, ending his time in Phoenix. The Republic’s Duane Rankin explains what it means for the team.
Los Angeles Clippers All-Star James Harden was part of a Big 3 in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, a trio that never won an NBA championship for the Nets.
Bradley Beal just went through the same thing in Phoenix with Devin Booker and Durant.
If anyone can relate to how Beal’s two disappointing years with the Suns unfolded and serve as an example of how one can bounce back and perform at a high level, it’s Harden.
“I went through it,” said Harden, during the Clippers media day Monday, Sept. 29, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. “I went through it, trying to sacrifice. Trying to do whatever it takes to win. I feel like that’s what the world wanted to see, and as a basketball player, you feel like you’re supposed to do it, give yourself the best chance of winning. All that good stuff. It sounds right for you guys to write up and say good things about. I’ve been through it. We’re past that.”
Harden advocated for the Clippers to sign Beal after the Suns bought out the three-time All-Star this summer. The 6-4 guard signed a two-year deal for $11 million with a player option on the second year. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after Year 2.
“Brad is a killer on the court and we’ll bring the best out of him,” Harden continued. “Put him in positions to where he’s successful. He looks good, then we all look good. That’s literally (Clippers coach Ty Lue’s job), that’s my job, that’s all of our jobs to bring out the best in every individual on this team. He was in a situation where he went to, alphas, it just didn’t work out. I’ve been in that situation. For us, just getting back to just loving the game of basketball and ride for each other.”
Beal averaged 17.6 points on career highs from the field at 50.5% and from 3 at 40.7% in his two seasons in Phoenix after spending the first 11 seasons of his career in Washington.
The Suns traded Chris Paul to land Beal in the summer of 2023.
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However, Beal only played a total of 106 games in Phoenix (53 each season) due to multiple injuries.
He drew much of the blame for Phoenix missing the playoffs last season with a 36-46 record. Minnesota swept the Suns in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
Beal joined Phoenix looking to compete for a championship, but the Suns fell way short of those expectations. Now he’s with the Clippers, a team built to win big now led by Kawhi Leonard and Harden.
“I’m super excited, man,” Beal said Monday. “It’s no different when I went to Phoenix, too. Just being in a new situation, new environment. You obviously got to warm up, get to know everybody, get to understand the staff, get to understand the system, players, how the guys will play and all of that, but the mentality remains the same. Mine hasn’t changed over the last few years.”
The Clippers open the season Oct. 22 at Utah before meeting the Suns in their home opener Oct. 24 at Intuit Dome.
“I know who I am and what I’m capable of doing,” Beal continued. “I feel I’ve still been able to showcase that. We’re in different roles. It’s not going to be what everybody expects it to be. That’s honestly not what I really care about. It’s about what’s beneficial for the team and whatever job they need me to go do, I’m going to go out there and execute it.”
Beal went through a trying year in his second and final season in Phoenix.
“A little difficult.”
Bradley Beal was surprised by benching, said he wasn’t given an indication about it.
“Coach made a decision. I’m not going to sit there and argue with him. I’m not going to sit here and be a distraction. I’m not going to sit here and be an asshole.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/wBBTNTDWEG
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 7, 2025
He dealt with elbow, calf, knee, hip, ankle, toe and hamstring injuries last season. Known for trying to play through injuries, Beal had a scope done on his knee after the 2024-25 season, but the 32-year-old said Monday he’s “ready to rock” this season.
“I’m in a great place now,” Beal said. “Little minor cleanup at the end of the year. Something I was dealing with while playing in Phoenix with a little inflammation in my knee, but I’m locked and loaded now. I’m ready to go. Good procedure earlier in the year. I’m back working.”
Former Suns coach Mike Budenholzer benched Beal during the first half of last season. Budenholzer was fired after one season in Phoenix.
A fan heckled Beal during a January home game against the Wizards with his family in the area. The fan was ejected.
“Trade this bum (expletive) Beal for Jimmy Butler!” the fan yelled, which led to their six-year-old son tearing up.
“My wife was pretty calm about it, but my son is right there. She’s not going for none of that.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal on his wife as she took to social media to address a fan heckling her husband to a point their six-year old was crying when the fan, according to her, said.… pic.twitter.com/TzyVoX1bO7
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 28, 2025
Beal, who had a no-trade clause, was part of trade talks leading up to the 2025 trade deadline in February.
“It’s business,” Beal said about the trade talks. “It’s no different than any other year. I’m in trade talks every year. I was in D.C. for 11 and somebody was trying to move me out of DC. So it’s no different. Every year, somebody is going to say where they think you should go, what team should make a move. Very opinionated, but that’s the landscape of business at the end of the day.”
The Suns eventually bought out Beal in the offseason.
“Phoenix made a decision that they were going to move in a different direction,” Beal said. “I can’t do nothing but respect it and I found a situation that was a little more beneficial for me and I’m excited about where I am now.”
Beal gave back essentially $13.9 million of the $110 million that remained on his contract with Phoenix over two seasons. The Suns will stretch $96 million to $97 million over five years at about $19.4 million a year, but they are now under the first and second tax apron.
“You definitely respect Phoenix and appreciate them because they helped get everything done,” Beal said. “The communication was pretty straightforward. I’m always appreciative of that. It wasn’t easy at all. It wasn’t an easy decision because many teams made their push and made their run and made their pitch. It came down to the wire about where I wanted to go and what situation I wanted to be a part of.”
Lue sees Beal making an easy transition with the Clippers.
“You have a guy who can run pick-and-roll,” Lue said. “He can catch-and-shoot. He’s a great cutter, can handle the basketball. He does a lot of different things offensively. I think his biggest ability for us is to be able to pass the basketball and plays for (Clippers big Ivica Zubac) and guys like that when he comes off pick-and-roll. I don’t think it’ll be hard at all to incorporate him into what we’re trying to do.”
Lue is challenging Beal to be an “elite defender he’s been in the past” this season.
“I’ve had that in Phoenix the last couple of years too,” Beal said. “Just being responsible for guarding some of the best players in the league. I’m willing to do that. We have a lot of dudes that can put the ball in the basket. That’s not going to be my job to do every single night. I preach to my AAU kids there being more than one way to impact the game besides scoring and I’m just scoring and I’m just preaching to myself right now. I can showcase that. There are other ways to impact the game outside of scoring. I can score the ball with the best of them, but I can also guard.”
Beal said Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, “has been on my ass about that” since he joined the team.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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