The addition of Bradley Beal was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle to take the Phoenix Suns over the top as a contender. However, it ended up becoming the final nail in the coffin for a roster that has gone through a dramatic turnaround in the last few months.
Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, it looks like the veteran shooting guard has found a new home, as he tries to help them take the next step alongside James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Settling into his team in a new season, he finally spoke out about how his tenure had gone with Phoenix.
Bradley Beal Reveals What Went Wrong With the Suns
Spending more than a decade with the Washington Wizards, Beal earned three All-Star selections as he earned a reputation as one of the best offensive threats in the league and a guaranteed bucket.
As a result, the Suns hoped to make an unstoppable trio by adding him to a roster already featuring Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. However, they couldn’t find sustainable success, getting swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round in 2024.
Unfortunately, the second year turned out to be even worse, as they missed the playoffs outright, with Phoenix reaching a contract buyout with him shortly thereafter. Picked up by the Clippers in the offseason, it hasn’t been the greatest start for the team.
Going 3-5, they are currently 12th in the Western Conference, with Beal’s numbers being downright abysmal. Averaging less than eight points per game, he hasn’t been able to provide much help to LA, especially in the two games against Phoenix.
The second game, a 115-102 loss for Los Angeles, was maybe the worst game of the season for him individually, as he tallied just five points while attempting 14 shots. After the game, a reflective Beal spoke about his time with the Suns.
“You reflect for sure. Everybody did their what-ifs, but you can’t live in the past. You can’t live in those moments. We could’ve had something special, but it didn’t happen, it didn’t work, and we all moved on. Probably going to be a big what-if story forever.”
Bradley Beal on time in Phoenix: “You reflect for sure. Everybody did their what ifs, but you can’t live in the past. You can’t live in those moments. We could’ve had something special, but didn’t happen. Didn’t work and we all moved on. Probably going to be a big what if story… pic.twitter.com/qv7sT3j3Gv
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 7, 2025
Unfortunately, it is hard to quantify the tenure Beal had in Phoenix as one of those what-ifs that plague the NBA fan base for eternity. Even when they were on the court together, the results were far from spectacular, as evidenced by their record, and an offense that felt outright disjointed.
But Beal wasn’t willing to take on all the blame. “I think if everybody puts themselves in Brad’s shoes from the day I got there, to the day I was asked to leave, I think it’d be a little more grace in all that, but you control what you can control.”
However, he did assure that he had made his peace with the situation and was focused on what happens this season with the Clippers. So far, it clearly hasn’t gone according to plan, but the hope has to be that they can turn it around sooner rather than later.
