Bradley Beal’s time in Phoenix may soon come to a bitter end, if the Suns have their way. According to Suns insider John Gambadoro, the franchise is actively looking to move on from the three-time All-Star.
“They do NOT want him back. But he is untradable and if he does not agree to a buyout they may be stuck with him… They 100% don’t want him and are looking at how to get out.”
This bombshell confirms the growing suspicion that Beal has become a financial and strategic burden for a Suns team that failed to live up to expectations. Despite forming a supposed “superteam” with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Suns missed the 2025 playoffs entirely and finished with the worst record among the NBA’s top-five highest spenders.
Their $362 million payroll, the most expensive in league history, including luxury taxes, ended in disaster.
Beal’s performance has not justified his massive price tag. In two seasons with the Suns, he has appeared in just 106 games, struggling with injuries and inconsistency. His numbers, 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, are respectable but far from elite for someone making superstar money.
To make matters worse, he still has two years and over $110 million remaining on his contract, including a no-trade clause that effectively blocks Phoenix from sending him elsewhere without his approval.
This no-trade clause is a major thorn in the Suns’ side. It gives Beal near-total control over his future and was a stipulation that came with him from Washington, where he signed a five-year supermax deal before being dealt to Phoenix.
No team wants to take on that kind of financial commitment for a player who’s no longer viewed as a franchise cornerstone, especially with the luxury tax penalties tightening under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.
The Suns have already attempted to move Beal. League sources confirmed the front office explored trade options ahead of last season’s deadline, but there were zero serious takers. Now, the new head coach Jordan Ott faces the unenviable task of figuring out what to do with a player the franchise clearly no longer wants.
Gambadoro revealed that one of the first questions the Suns asked prospective head coaching candidates was, “What would you do with Beal?”
That alone shows the organization’s desperation to turn the page.
Kevin Durant’s future also hangs in the balance. The Spurs, Rockets, Heat, and other teams have reportedly expressed interest in the 36-year-old, and the Suns may be open to dealing him for a reset.
But unlike Beal, Durant still has market value. The only player Phoenix appears committed to building around is Devin Booker, whose talent and youth make him the lone cornerstone in a franchise otherwise teetering on a full-scale rebuild.
Unless Beal agrees to a buyout, which would cost the Suns tens of millions, Phoenix may be forced to keep a player they don’t want, consuming a massive chunk of their cap with no clear path forward. For now, the Bradley Beal experiment in the desert stands as one of the biggest misfires in recent NBA history.
