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The Phoenix Suns (25-25) perplexed a number of fans ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, as Kevin Durant became a surprise name on the rumor mill. How they decide to proceed going into the 2025-26 campaign is expected to hinge on how the team finishes this season. Though, even if owner Mat Ishbia agrees to rip up the current blueprint, which is looking a bit blotchy right now, Bradley Beal wields considerable leverage.
The three-time All-Star's refusal to waive his no-trade clause prevented Phoenix from completing the Jimmy Butler move it had desired. He was not eager to relocate his family less than 20 months after transitioning from the Washington D.C. area to The Desert. The expectation is that Beal could change his mind under the right circumstances. Unfortunately for the Suns, though, their two most favorable trade partners are nowhere close to title contention.
One of them is presently the worst squad in the league. That's right, before the deadline there was a scenario in which the 31-year-old guard could have returned to his NBA roots.
“Of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he'd waive his no-trade clause to go there,” ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported.
“Phoenix clung to that hope for weeks, hoping that if they could somehow improve their package to incentivize these teams to participate, and other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through, then maybe there would be a path to a deal. Even then, there was still the matter of whether Beal would waive his no-trade clause and accept the trade.”
Is there a perfect destination for Bradley Beal?
That is quite the revelation. It makes sense for top teams to be concerned about Beal's monster contract (owed $53.6 million next season and has a $57 million player option for 2026-27), but a rebuilding franchise like the Wizards is a befuddling fit, to say the least. The Hawks are also not a plausible landing spot, as their trio of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels was engendering optimism when healthy.
Besides, even if Washington and Atlanta committed to this massive gamble, Beal might not have any interest in competing for either franchise. He spent 11 years with the Wizards and witnessed firsthand how far away they were from relevance. Unless he is the most nostalgic man on the planet, persuading the 2021 All-NBA Third-Team selection to reunite with his first NBA home might be an arduous chore.
The Suns made a huge Bradley Beal investment, and it has yet to pay off in the way they hoped. He has produced throughout his almost two-season tenure in Phoenix, scoring 17.8 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range in 90 games, but the Suns did not win a playoff game last year and may not even make it that far in 2025.
They need Beal and Durant to put the trade rumors behind them and focus on pushing the team out of the NBA Play-In Tournament danger zone. Both men are listed questionable for Friday night's face-off with the Utah Jazz in the Footprint Center.
