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Being in limbo is one of the toughest places to be in the NBA, and right now, it seems like that's exactly where Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is.
When Beal was traded to the Suns in 2023, many expected that he would finally join a winning team after languishing for years on the Washington Wizards. After all, he had fellow All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as teammates. Booker even famously remarked: “I don't know how teams are gonna guard us.”
Obviously, that didn't age well. The experiment failed, with Phoenix even missing the playoffs last season. Now that Durant is gone, Beal is possibly next on the chopping block. That became clearer when the Suns gave Booker a two-year maximum contract worth $145 million. It is the highest annual extension salary in NBA history.
While there have been rumors linking the 32-year-old Beal to multiple teams, the Suns have found no takers. For ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, the high-scoring guard can still perform at a high level.
“Bradley still got a lot left in the tank. He was just in a bad situation,” said Perkins on X.
Beal struggled with his role as the third option behind Durant, who's now with the Houston Rockets, and Booker. Last season, he only averaged 17.0 points, his fewest since the 2015-16 campaign.
With the Wizards, he was used to being the go-to guy and having a lot of touches, even almost becoming the league's scoring champion in the 2020-21 season after averaging a career-high 31.3 points.
When he moved to Phoenix, he was forced to adjust his game. This hasn't worked out well in his two seasons with the squad.
The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly seriously pursuing Beal. If, in the end, nothing materializes and the three-time All-Star remains with the Suns, it could be a very awkward situation that might throw a monkey wrench in the team's culture.
