It was arguably one of the worst moves in recent memory. Bradley Beal’s shift two seasons ago to Phoenix has, to put it mildly, not gone well. In the two seasons the shooting guard has been there, the Suns have made just one playoff appearance and lost all games in that postseason run.
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Beal is also the only other player, apart from LeBron James, to have a ‘no-trade’ clause. The Suns’ attempts to convince Beal to waive his no-trade clause have failed. So the options are that Phoenix and Beal agree to a buyout, or worse. But is Beal solely to blame for things coming to such a pass? Former NBA champion Richard Jefferson doesn’t think so.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia acquired Beal ahead of the 2023-24 season to form a big three with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Beal had averaged 23.2 points per game the previous season, but that wasn’t reflective of his true scoring ability. He averaged over 30 points per game in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, placing himself among the league’s most elite scorers.
The Suns sought Beal’s abilities, hoping to harness that version of the three-time All-Star. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as hoped. Jefferson believes Phoenix’s front office is to blame.
“Phoenix didn’t have a point guard their first year,” Jefferson proclaimed on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “Then the second year, they bring in a point guard, but they got a brand new coach. Bradley Beal was never put into a position to succeed.”
Despite how great a player is, NBA history has shown that not all players play well together. Beal’s play style is too similar to Booker’s. On top of that, neither one of them is a facilitator at heart. Phoenix pushed Booker into that role, but that wasn’t his true position. As a result, Beal suffered, since he didn’t have a true playmaker to help create his offense.
“There’s a reason Beal’s greatest scoring season came in the 2020-21 NBA campaign, and his starting point guard was a big reason. In the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 31 points, when you talk about a facilitator, you know who his teammate was at that time? Russell Westbrook,” Kendrick Perkins said.
Beal is definitely capable of producing offense for himself and others. However, when the team tasks him with being the main scorer along with a facilitator, it’s too much on his plate. That was the problem in Phoenix.
Where Beal will play next is still uncertain, but one prominent destination is the Los Angeles Clippers. That would be a much more seamless fit, since he would be playing alongside facilitator James Harden.
Harden loves to differ throughout a game, which could put Beal in a thriving scoring role. He would also have Kawhi Leonard to alleviate the offensive burden and Ivica Zubac to anchor a top-10 defense.
Beal and the Suns are still in talks. It’ll be interesting to see where he lands next. That decision could very well turn his player narrative around.
