The Phoenix Suns, despite all of their offensive firepower, sit at 12th in the West, with a dismal 16-19 record. With an aging superstar in Kevin Durant and a frustrated face of the franchise in Devin Booker, the Suns will need to get busy if the team hopes to even contend for the playoffs. For Phoenix, the clearest maneuver is to find value for Bradley Beal, but that task is much easier said than done.
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The five-year, $251 million max contract the Washington Wizards handed Beal in 2019 has proven to be disastrous for his new squad. Not only has the 31-year-old’s production fallen off a cliff since his best days in Washington, but Beal’s massive cap hit blocks the team from shoring up his underwhelming production. The three-time All-Star is still a good player but is no longer worth the contract he is on, which complicates trade matters.
Sam Amick believes that Beal’s gargantuan contract will be too much to work around right now for both the Suns and Heat, who have their own overpaid star in Jimmy Butler. While Beal’s no-trade clause would normally allow him to be picky with his next destination, potential suitors for his services are currently slim to none. Amick underlined how most teams interested in Beal have three or four other targets ahead of him, making his no-trade clause a moot point.
“That market [for Beal] is slim to begin with. It’s certainly slim when teams are gonna go through the Rolodex of who else might work better for their team who isn’t owed $110M over the next two years,” the Athletic insider said on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back.
Bradley Beal WOULD waive his no-trade clause to join the Heat, but Miami wants more for Jimmy Butler 😳
"Teams are gonna go through the rolodex of who else might work better for their team who isn't owed $110M over the next two years." – @sam_amick
📺 https://t.co/2SuCv1NQgt pic.twitter.com/4LCL7hRJwX
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 9, 2025
For the Phoenix, Miami, Beal, and Butler, this could mean waiting things out until the trade deadline. With both franchises struggling to tread water in their respective conferences, though, it could be too late by then. Either way, with Beal and the disgruntled Butler’s similar salaries, a swap involving the two seems inevitable even if a move doesn’t change much for either side.
Amick mentioned that rather than chase an aging max contract player, teams would look to add other out-of-place stars with fewer miles on their feet and a more reliable skillset. Zach Lavine and Brandon Ingram are two All-Star names that are both younger and cheaper than Beal, making them much more appealing than him or the 36-year-old Butler.
The possibility of Beal declining to waive his no-trade clause doesn’t seem like it will be an issue anymore. But considering the money he is owed and the current standing of Phoenix’s roster, the Suns will have much tougher issues to remedy.
