Bradley Beal is public enemy number one in Phoenix.
Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we take a closer look at each player who suited up during the 2024–25 campaign. One by one, we’ll break down what went right, what went wrong, and what each player can do to take the next step heading into next season.
Three words. No Trade Clause.
Bradley Beal’s time in Phoenix will forever be remembered as a disaster. There was initially optimism surrounding the fit of the big three at the time of the trade. It was easy to get behind the theoretical offensive firepower from three individuals capable of getting 30 points on any given night.
Unfortunately, basketball games are not played on paper. And even if they were, the Suns’ supporting cast was not built to prop Durant, Booker, and Beal up. The experiment did not work. I know it. You know it. Everyone, including Mat Ishbia, knows it.
Earlier this season, Beal on trade rumors: “If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards,” Beal told reporters in Philadelphia. “Until I’m addressed and somebody says something differently, then I’m going to be a Sun.”
He may not hold those cards for long if the Suns decide to waive and stretch his contract.
Beal has had some controversial quotes throughout the season, but this is how he ended it.
“I love Phoenix. I love being here. Hopefully I can continue to be here, but I know Mat (Ishbia) is probably going to make some changes. But I enjoyed this group, it was a fun group to be apart of. The locker room was awesome, the camaraderie was great. We love each other. We uplifted each other.”
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Bradley Beal
- Position: Shooting Guard
- Vitals: 6’4”, 207 pounds, 31 years old
- Experience: 13 years
- Stats: 53 GP (38 starts), 17.0 PPG (49.7 FG%, 38.6 3PT%, 80.3 FT%), 3.7 APG, 3.3 RPG
Contract Details
Beal has two years left on his 5-year max deal that he originally inked with Washington. He is owed $53,666,270 next season and then has a $57,128,610 player option in 2026-27 before hitting the open market in the summer of 2027.
Regular Season Recap
Bradley Beal was not consistently engaged for most of the season on either end of the floor. I suppose one could say that for just about every member of this Phoenix Suns team.
Beal had the lowest usage of his NBA career this season at just 22.1%. That includes a lower total than his rookie season in 2012-13 at age 19.
He had nine games of scoring under double-digits. His season high? A pedestrian 30 points. He had back-to-back seasons averaging over 30 points per game for crying out loud.
Bradley Beal’s season high was just 30 points.
He had two seasons where he averaged over 30 PPG. In his 53 games played, he scored under 10 points nine times.
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) April 22, 2025
I’ll recap his season with this single game against Boston in April. It’s how I will remember Beal as a Sun when I look back 5, 10, 15 years from now.
In just over 30 minutes of action, Beal put together this statline against Boston: 1 point, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 0 turnovers, 0/7 FG, 1/2 FT. A disaster class with the team “fighting” for a play-in spot.
Biggest Strength
Beal shot the ball efficiently during his time in Phoenix. Two of his three highest true shooting percentage seasons of his career actually came as a member of the Suns.
He had a few decent outings this season that made you think maybe, just maybe, we’d get the old Beal. Those flashes never lasted long, whether it was due to him missing time with an injury or fading on the court.
Biggest Weakness
Effort. Fit. Energy. Attitude.
These are intangibles, but important ones. Let’s start with fit.
He clearly was not meant to play alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Coming from Washington, he was their first, second, and third scoring option. He had to adjust to being almost an afterthought offensively. As we discussed earlier, his usage was the lowest of his career this season. Whether it was a lack of touches or involvement, or poor chemistry with his teammates, he always felt like the odd man out.
Beal had a plus/minus of -273 this season, by far the worst on the team and one of the worst in the NBA among qualified players.
He was displeased with Mike Budenholzer for telling him to “play a Jrue Holiday role” to the point where he felt disrespected. Add that to the list of dramatic reports with internal things leaking.
Bradley Beal reportedly had an issue with Mike Budenholzer telling him to play like Jrue Holiday, per @Gambo987 & @ChrisBHaynes
“Don’t ever disrespect me like that. Don’t ever tell me to play like another player” pic.twitter.com/Bd20yMRmu1
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 15, 2025
When first acquiring Beal, if you had a “worst-case scenario” in mind, it looks a lot like how this process unfolded. He played in 106 of 164 possible games, and in the games he did play, he didn’t leave much of an impact.
Likelihood of Return: 0
I’m going to put this at a 0. No shot we see Bradley Beal back in Phoenix next year.
It’s the end of an era error.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Overall Grade: F+
Beal was disinterested. He was saying all the wrong things. While he shot the ball at a decent clip, it was not enough to get him any higher than an “F+” on my scale, all things considered.
If the Suns can’t find a trade partner (that he approves), then it’s looking more and more likely that Phoenix will waive and stretch his contract.
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