“Main character potential number two. I’m gonna go Bradley Beal here… still a disaster in Phoenix.” That was ESPN’s Zach Lowe, bluntly summing up the single most complicated and frustrating situation in the entire NBA. Two years ago, the Phoenix Suns went all-in, trading for Bradley Beal to form a “Big Three” with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. It was supposed to be a championship dream team.
Instead, it’s turned into a full-blown nightmare. After a season so disappointing that it led to the Suns shipping Kevin Durant to Houston, the franchise is now stuck with Beal, his massive $110 million contract, and a problem that has no easy solution.
The Suns desperately want to move on. After a 36-46 season and a missed playoff appearance, they are in a full-blown retool around Devin Booker. But getting Beal off the books is, as Zach Lowe put it, nearly impossible. He still has two years and a staggering $110 million left on his contract, along with a no-trade clause, giving him complete control over his destiny. And according to a deep-dive report from Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Suns’ options are grim.
But what about just waiving him? Local sources have reported that Phoenix has considered this nuclear option. In theory, they could use the “waive and stretch” provision, a rule that would allow them to release Beal and spread the $110 million they owe him over five years instead of two. This would reduce his annual cap hit to a more manageable $22 million, helping them get under the dreaded second apron. But here’s where the problem gets tricky.
A niche rule in the CBA states that a team’s total “stretched” salary can’t exceed 15% of the cap in any given year. And as Fred Katz reported, the Suns have already shot themselves in the foot. By waiving and stretching the smaller contracts of Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell last year, they already have $3.8 million in dead money on their books for next season. When you add that to Beal’s potential $22 million stretched salary, the total ($25.8M) goes over the 15% limit ($23.2M). The only way around it? Beal would have to voluntarily agree to give back $13.8 million of his own money. As Zach Lowe put it, “I’m not sure why he would give back money.”
Jan 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) with guard Bradley Beal (3) and Devin Booker (1) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
That leaves a trade as the only real option. Miami Heat have been consistently linked as a potential suitor, with a package centered around players like Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier. But as Lowe pointed out,
“The Heat, some people have to me, around the league have suggested the Heat could turn like the Duncan Robinson plus Rozier plus whatever into Beal. The Heat have had chances to get Beal before and haven’t done it. Is the price that low gonna entice them? I don’t know.”
The Suns’ disastrous season has made Beal an even tougher asset to move. With Kevin Durant now in Houston and Devin Booker the lone remaining superstar, the Suns are a team without a clear identity, a fact that makes them a less-than-appealing trade partner.
Bradley Beal’s contract and family life complicate everything
While the Suns front office scrambles for a solution, Bradley Beal seems perfectly content to stay put. And why wouldn’t he be?
According to Fred Katz’s report, Beal’s preference is to remain in Phoenix. “Since leaving Washington in 2023, Beal’s wife and kids have moved from D.C. to Los Angeles and then, before the start of this season, to Phoenix full time,” Katz wrote. “Playing for another team would leave him with two options: He would have to either pull his kids out of school, moving them again, or leave his family altogether, neither of which excites him.”
This is where the human element of this business decision becomes so important. For Beal, this isn’t just about basketball anymore; it’s about stability for his family.
And his wife, Kamiah Adams-Beal, just sent a powerful, public message that seemed to reaffirm that commitment. On his birthday, just days after the Durant trade sent the franchise into a tailspin, she posted a serene, beachside photo of the two of them on her Instagram story. The caption was simple, but spoke volumes: “The to my / I love you baby/ Happy birthday @bradbeal3.”
For those who follow astrology, the Cancer-Pisces pairing is known for its deep emotional connection and loyalty. It was a subtle but clear statement: wherever Bradley goes, they go together. And they’re not interested in being uprooted again.
This is what makes the situation in Phoenix so tricky. Beal is reportedly “open to the right trade that sends him [to] the right destination,” but that “right destination” is an incredibly small target. It has to be a winning situation, a city his family would be happy in, and a team that has the assets to make a trade work.
The list of teams that check all three of those boxes is practically non-existent. So, right now the Suns may want to move on, but until the perfect situation presents itself, it seems the Beal era in Phoenix, for better or for worse, is far from over.
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