KD is gone. The draft haul is in. But Bradley Beal is still here—and maybe that’s exactly what the Suns need.
While the internet collectively rebooted itself after Kevin Durant was traded for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, five second-round picks, and a hint of cap space breathing room (which we then utilised), another name drifted slowly across the NBA timeline like a tumbleweed on an empty street.
Bradley Emmanuel Beal.
Remember him?
No, seriously. Remember Brad? Third star. Sunshine-state savior. The guy who once averaged 31.3 points per game on a team with zero playoff hopes and one Martian named Rui. He’s still on the roster. He still wears No. 3. He still has a jump shot smoother than a jazz solo on vinyl. And, oh yeah, he has a no-trade clause.
The Quietest $50 Million Man in the League
To be fair, Bradley Beal has gone through it. Last season was a rollercoaster—or, more aptly, one of those people-movers at the airport: it looked smooth, but no one’s really sure where it was going.
Injuries, inconsistent usage, and a weird stint as the team’s backup point guard had Beal feeling more like a temporary consultant than a co-franchise cornerstone. He averaged just 17.1 points per game — his lowest mark since the Obama administration. But context matters. This wasn’t Washington. This wasn’t his show. This was Beal adapting. Figuring it out. Playing the third fiddle in a band still learning its setlist.
Now That KD’s Gone… What Now?
The trade of Kevin Durant has triggered a full-scale philosophical reset in Phoenix. ALIGNMENT, ANYONE? The draft doubled down, with Khaman Maluach coming in at #10 to shore up the front line, along with a bevy of rookies who shoot, run, defend, and probably stack chairs at team events like pros.
So once again, we ask:
What About Brad?
Does he stay as Booker’s running mate in a streamlined, retooled Suns squad, slotting in as a natural second option with the offensive freedom he’s been starved of since DC?
Does he come off the bench as the world’s most overqualified sixth man, weaponizing second units the way high school coaches dream of, in a Manu Ginóbili redux with slightly more salary cap pain?
Or is there another team — maybe one with cap space, championship delusions, and a soft spot for smooth midrange jumpers — that could make the trade work, no-trade clause and all? So far, the head office isn’t even entertaining offers. And Brad himself wants to be here…
With a locker room full of youth, that absolutely means something to building culture and creating a team that fits and functions like a family.
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Maybe the Beal We Need Is the Beal Who’s Already Here?
Here’s what we do know:
✅ Beal still shoots nearly 50% from the field.
✅ He’s still one of the best off-ball scorers in the league.
✅ He’s only 31.
✅ And when healthy, he brings polish and poise that teams don’t just find on waivers.
Now, with Kevin Durant’s usage redistributed and rookie energy flooding the depth chart, it begs the question, well… questions:
What does Bradley Beal look like when he’s finally allowed to just be Bradley Beal?
What happens when he’s freed from the burden of makeshift point guard duties and asked only to do what he does best — score with effortless efficiency?
Can you imagine a Suns offense with Beal sliding into clean catch-and-shoot looks off Booker doubles, slashing against scrambling defenses, or running pick-and-rolls without needing to orchestrate every possession?
But zoom out further: what if this roster, finally built with length, hustle, and defensive grit, gave Booker and Beal the support stars deserve?
What happens when you surround them with rangy wings who close out like greyhounds and bigs who switch and smother instead of sinking in cement?
Does a version of Beal exist where he isn’t carrying the weight of a franchise on every dribble, but instead plays with the joy of a man who knows his job is simple: put the ball in the hoop?
And if that version emerges, could he become exactly the second star Phoenix has been searching for all along?
Or maybe the bigger question is this: if you build a balanced, defensive-minded team around Booker and Beal… could that be enough to get back into the thick of NBA basketball?
Fortunately, for us as Phoenix Suns fans, we’ll get to enjoy watching as the answers to these questions unfold in the season ahead.
Final Word: Don’t Let the Internet Forget
KD’s gone. Jalen Green is inbound and ready to run the lane into next week. Dillon Brooks is bringing villain vibes and defensive grit. The Suns drafted a 7’2” teenager with a wingspan large enough to eclipse your hopes and dreams, adding said teenager’s ideal mentor in Mark Williams on a draft-day deal. It’s an exciting time in Phoenix.
But through it all… What About Brad?
Let’s not pretend he vanished. Let’s not trade him in the group chat before we even ask what he looks like next to a roster built for length, balance and pace. Let’s at least try to see the version of Beal that isn’t the ghost of Washington past, but a leaner, meaner, better-fitting piece of Phoenix’s future.
Finally, the element that remains is this: Suns brass are not done yet. We can expect further refinements to follow in the weeks ahead.
A QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS SECTION:
With KD gone and a balanced team being constructed around him, could Bradley Beal be the second star Phoenix has been searching for, to complement Devin Booker all along?
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