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The Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal agreed to a contract buyout that sees the organization eating five years' worth of dead money. At first glance, that doesn't appear to be a great deal for Phoenix; however, the latest rumors potentially reveal the reasoning behind it.
It was announced that the Suns plan to waive and stretch Beal's contract over a five-year span, according to insider Brett Siegel. The Suns will have $19.4 million in dead money over the next five seasons.
“It is expected that the Suns will ultimately elect to waive-and-stretch Bradley Beal's remaining contract over five years. This means he would be on the books for $19.4 million each season over the next five years as a dead cap hit. Phoenix has until August to decide.”
Rumors suggest the reason why the Suns are willing to accept that much in dead money is because it gives the organization “increased team-building flexibility,” per ESPN's Shams Charania. It takes Phoenix out of the first and second apron and also gives the club more draft picks down the road.
“It also gives the Suns increased team-building flexibility by taking them out of the first and second apron, providing access to more tradable draft picks in the future, and opening up part of the midlevel exception.”
Insider Keith Smith, who also contributes to Spotrac, shared more details about how the Suns' decision to take on Bradley Beal's dead money helps them out. Phoenix will be under the luxury tax, along with the first and second apron.
The Phoenix Suns tax/apron situation after an assumed waive-and-stretch of Bradley Beal:
🏀$2.1M under the luxury tax
🏀$8.6M under the first apron
🏀$20.5M under the second apron— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 16, 2025
Beal leaves the Suns, who will inevitably enter a rebuild with Devin Booker leading the way. The veteran guard ultimately decided to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, despite the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly making a strong push for Bradley Beal.
Things didn't end well in Phoenix for Beal, so a fresh start could reignite his career once again. He ended his final season with the Suns averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the three-point line.
