“Something I Didn’t Expect”: Devin Booker Was Taken Aback By Bradley Beal’s Benching

The NBA wouldn’t be what it is without the existence of disgruntled superstars. Bradley Beal might just be another name added to a litany of stars who aren’t exactly in a position they want to be in. Devin Booker was asked about Beal being brought off the bench in tonight’s win over the 76ers, leading to quite the response from him.

“Something I didn’t expect coming, but Brad responded well, Nurk responded well. They didn’t let it weigh in the locker room.”

“Something I didn’t expect coming, but Brad responded well, Nurk responded well. They didn’t let it weigh in the locker room. It’s was important and big part of our win tonight.”

Devin Booker on Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic coming off bench in Suns win over 76ers. #Suns pic.twitter.com/HBSwXwSaIN

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 7, 2025

Chris Haynes was the one who broke the news of Beal and Jusuf Nurkic getting benched in favor of Ryann Dunn and Mason Plumlee, respectively. This was done following an abysmal stretch of games where they had lost 7 of their previous 8 games.

It’s quite heartening to see that Beal didn’t take this reduction in role too personally. He came out guns blazing and led the team in scoring as a sixth man, dropping 25 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. He would even be in the Suns’ finishing lineup alongside KD, Book, Dunn, and Oso.

The common consensus here is that Beal’s benching serves two purposes. The first is obvious which Mike Budenholzer switching things up to hopefully ignite a spark within the Suns. The second has been speculated to be putting Brad in an uncomfortable position so that he may waive his no-trade clause.

Bradley Beal speaks on the Jimmy Butler situation

The Suns potentially want Brad to waive his no-trade clause to include him in a deal for Jimmy Butler. Butler is yet another disgruntled superstar over on the East Coast who has reportedly shown interest in teams like Phoenix and Denver.

When asked about this and how his benching may be related to internal front office transactions, Beal revealed he hasn’t been spoken to directly.

“I need to be addressed because I hold the cards. Until I’m addressed and somebody says something different, then I’ll be a Sun.”

It’s unclear what negotiations Mat Ishbia’s team are currently undergoing regarding this. With Beal seemingly in high spirits coming off the bench, there is a slight chance he remains in Phoenix regardless of what happens with Butler.