A 251 million dollar star, five seasons of contract and with the right to veto any move is sitting on the bench. The Phoenix Suns, the most expensive roster in the NBA at $408 million invested in a ring they haven’t come close to (nor did they win) since 2021, are not getting off the ground (16-18 record) and that Bradley Beal, who they gambled and traded for, is their true representation of reality. But he is a star-caliber player and if he gets going… things happen.
It had to be done in a radical way. The Suns can’t find solutions for fluidity and play with Beal dribbling and playing many minutes. They decided to sit him down, and the shooting guard then broke out to play. He played his best game in a long time and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 99-109. A victory worth its weight in gold and in which Beal contributed 25 points, five assists and no turnovers. He scored a lot (10/15 FG) and when he stepped on the court, the Suns accelerated (+14).
Phoenix thus broke a four-game losing streak. Beal started in all of them with very poor numbers (12.5 points, 35.6% FG and 35% 3P) and the solution was to change his approach. “We had to change things. We had to know what combinations benefited us. They [Beal and Nurkic] are great players and important,” said coach Mike Budenholzer.
But Beal is a star, he is still worth a lot and it is probably the solution to look for another destination. To accommodate another style of play and get a team out of the hole that would still not be in the postseason (12th in the West). However, not just anyone is worth it, as the shooting guard has the right to vote on moves to teams he does not want
There are some suitors. In a report by John Gambodoro, it was revealed which teams could sign Beal with the player’s desire. They would be the Lakers, who are still undecided on whether to sign a third star, the Miami Heat, who are sailing in the midst of the Jimmy Butler storm, or the Denver Nuggets. Different options and ones that Phoenix could work on to accompany Kevin Durant and Devin Booker