When Bradley Beal joined Phoenix, the Suns believed they had assembled a championship contender for years to come. With Beal joining star forward Kevin Durant and guard Devin Booker, the trio looked like a formidable force — on paper.
Things have not worked out. The Suns have already traded Durant to the Houston Rockets. While the franchise has extended Booker and appears committed to building around him, it is now reportedly working on a buyout to make Beal a free agent.
However, Beal has not yet hit the open market.
NBA Insider Reveals Reason Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns Haven’t Completed Buyout
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, there’s a financial reason for the delay.
“League sources say Beal’s current contract stipulates that he is owed a 25% advance payment on his 2025-26 salary on July 15,” Stein wrote. “As in this coming Tuesday. The early payment is valued at more than $13 million.”
Stein added that Beal doesn’t necessarily have to wait to receive that payment.
“While sources say that Beal will ultimately receive that amount no matter how his eventual exit from the Suns plays out, it is believed that he could elect to wait for that payment to go through before proceeding with his departure from the desert,” Stein explains.
While there’s a delay, it’s unlikely to change Beal’s outcome. Several teams, contenders included, have expressed interest in signing him once a buyout is finalized.
“The Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and, yes, Giannis’ Bucks are teams with a confirmed interest in signing Beal once he reaches the open market … with the Clippers widely regarded as a particularly strong contender to land the 33-year-old former All-Star,” Stein said.
Stein also noted that Beal may not need to give up much to make a deal happen.
“For the Suns to waive and stretch his contract like Milwaukee did with Lillard, Beal would be required to surrender at least $13.9 million of the nearly $111 million he is currently owed over the next two seasons,” Steins added.
“A buyout, of course, would terminate Beal’s original five-year deal worth in excess of $250 million signed with Washington in the summer of 2022 and, courtesy of that termination, erase one of the NBA’s two active full no-trade clauses. The Lakers’ James holds the other one.”
The Miami Heat have also been floated as a potential destination.
Beal averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7% from the field in 53 games last season.
Beal has been plagued by injuries. He’s played just 106 games over the past two seasons, and although he can still score, he hasn’t looked like the All-Star version of himself.
