After getting a hostile reception from Phoenix fans Thursday night, Clippers guard Bradley Beal indicated that he doesn’t have fond memories of his two years with the Suns, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Beal was booed during pre-game introductions and again each time he touched the ball during a 13-point loss. He turned in his worst performance of the season, finishing with five points in 19 minutes on 2-of-14 shooting before being removed from the game with 6:02 left in the third quarter.
Beal, a prolific scorer in Washington, was supposed to form a Big Three along with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant when the Suns acquired him from the Wizards during the 2023 offseason. Injuries limited him to 53 games during both of his seasons in Phoenix, and his reported refusal to waive his no-trade clause limited the Suns’ ability to alter their roster and made him an unpopular figure with fans.
Beal contends he was never properly used by head coaches Frank Vogel or Mike Budenholzer during his time in Phoenix.
“When you allow me to be that guy, I’ll be that,” Beal said. “But when you have two coaches that want you to set screens and play in the dunker, you’re not Brad Beal. You’re somebody else.”
Beal had two years and $110MM remaining on his contract, but he and the Suns were both eager to end their relationship after two frustrating seasons. He agreed to give back $13.9MM as part of a buyout agreement during the summer and joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11MM deal that includes a player option.
He told reporters that he didn’t feel he had anything to prove in his return to Phoenix, pointing out that the Clippers scored a decisive win over the Suns earlier in the season.
“To me, it wasn’t about get back,” Beal said. “We whooped y’all a couple weeks ago. So it wasn’t like, you know, I don’t think it’s about that. For me, it was — no disrespect to Phoenix — but it was more meaningful for me to go back to D.C. and play, after being there for 11 years and that’s my franchise, you know? I feel like I was more geeked about that than coming back here. There’s no disrespect … but they have their way how they feel.”
Injury issues have continued to hamper Beal as he tries to establish himself with another new franchise. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during the offseason and remains on a minutes restriction. He hasn’t exceeded 22 minutes or played in the fourth quarter yet this season, but coach Tyronn Lue remains confident that he’ll eventually be a reliable scorer once he’s back to full health.
Beal emphasized that he has no hard feelings toward Phoenix fans or the organization, and he displayed that by signing autographs after Thursday’s game and embracing his former teammates, according to Law. He won’t have to wait long to see them again, as the Suns will travel to Los Angeles for a rematch Saturday night.
“That’s basketball — we wouldn’t be pros if we couldn’t be mentally tough enough to move on to the next game or be mentally tough to move on to the next play,” Beal said. “It happens, man. It’s going to be games dudes might not make a shot. Might not get a rebound. But how you bounce back and how you respond to that is a testament to your character, who you are as a player. So, see you Saturday.”