Recently turned 32 years old, Bradley Beal’s tenure with the Phoenix Suns hasn’t gone as smoothly as all parties had hoped. In the two years since the partnership began, the team hasn’t won a single playoff game (didn’t qualify last season). Beal has become somewhat of a scapegoat by the fans due to his large salary, no-trade clause, and less productivity than his earlier days with the Washington Wizards. With reports of a Bradley Beal buyout coming soon, a list of rumored suitors has also been provided.
Bradley Beal Buyout Looming, Five Potential Suitors Provided
Bradley Beal Expected to Receive A Buyout From The Suns
A 13-year veteran, Beal has two years remaining on his current deal. Next season, it is for $53,666,270, and for 2026-27, he has a player option worth $57,128,610. That would surely be exercised by Beal.
It likely won’t come down to that $57+ million question for Beal though. Per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, a resolution on a contract buyout should be coming real soon. Evan Sidery, an NBA contributor for Forbes, provided a list of five teams that will be interested in his services once he becomes available.
I expect a decision and resolution on Bradley Beal’s situation in the next 24-48 hours.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 6, 2025
At least five teams are expected to show free agent interest in Bradley Beal, once he officially becomes available later this week:
Bucks
Clippers
Heat
Lakers
NuggetsAs a pure scorer at a significantly cheaper annual salary, Beal’s market among contenders will be robust. pic.twitter.com/mkpZ5m1ZsJ
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 6, 2025
Last season, Beal appeared in 53 games (38 starts). The 6-foot-4 guard posted averages of 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 49.7% from the field, 38.6% from beyond the arc, and 80.3% from the free-throw line. While solid numbers, they are still a far cry from the 30+ points he averaged for Washington back in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Beal also hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games since 2018-19.
Would Beal want to join a team that would use him as a starter? He was in the starting lineup for every one of his appearances spanning from 2016-17 until 2023-24.
Which Suitors Can Give Him A Role In The Starting Lineup?
Out of the five teams Sidery listed, the Milwaukee Bucks seem like the team who may be most ready to give Beal a starting role. The team did re-sign Gary Trent Jr. on a two-year, $7.5 million deal (second year is a player option). Milwaukee did seem comfortable bringing the sharpshooter off the bench though, as the 26-year-old was a reserve in 65 of his 74 appearances. Both might be better choices than Kyle Kuzma to start, but it would hurt their rebounding if they started both Beal and Trent.
Both LA teams, the Lakers and Clippers, also seem like a possibility for Beal to go in and slide into the starting lineup. It just is far from a sure thing. The Lakers would need to send Rui Hachimura to the bench. They can then slide Austin Reaves to small forward and LeBron James to power forward. The Clippers would need to sit Kris Dunn at the start of games. He started 58 outings last season though, and he played a large role in the team’s stellar defensive work.
The Heat would seemingly need to trade Andrew Wiggins (or bench Davion Mitchell). The Nuggets don’t seem to have a role for him in the starting lineup after Christian Braun played excellent basketball last season, his first as a full-time starter. In the meantime, news of a Bradley Beal buyout must happen first before he can move on elsewhere.
Photo credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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