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The Phoenix Suns appear to be at a major crossroads. Their Big 3 experiment with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal did not go as planned. During the two-plus seasons they were part of the Suns organization together, they were rarely on the court at the same time. That culminated in Phoenix missing out on even the Play-In tournament this past season.
One of the biggest questions facing the Suns this offseason is what to do with Beal. Well, it appears we might have an answer.
The Suns are reportedly discussing buying Bradley Beal out of his contract, according to The Arizona Republic. The three-time All-Star has two years remaining on his current deal, with $110 million still owed. He initially signed a 5-year, $251 million deal with a no-trade clause. That clause might have kept Phoenix from moving on the way they would have preferred.
Instead, the Suns traded future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. In return, the Suns got much younger. They landed Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in last week's NBA Draft. They used that pick to select Khaman Maluach.
If Phoenix goes down this road with Beal, he will become a free agent. Any free agent can sign a new contract starting on July 6. But it remains to be seen what kind of market would exist for the oft-injured guard out of Florida.
Beal has only started 141 games over the last three seasons. In other words, 141 starts covering 246 games, just over 50%. Even when he was on the court, his efficiency and overall production fell precipitously.
In 2021, Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game. That dropped to just over 23 points per game during his final two seasons with the Washington Wizards before signing in Phoenix. While struggling to stay on the court, Beal averaged 18 and 17 points over the last two seasons, respectively.
