The Suns and Bradley Beal are expected to part ways in the coming days—marking the end of one of the most infamous contracts in NBA history.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported Sunday that a “decision and resolution” on Beal is expected in the next two days. According to Marc Stein, Beal is already exploring his options in free agency.
Beal has two years and $110 million left on his contract. The original deal was a five-year, $251 million deal signed with the Wizards. It came with the infamous no-trade clause that has made it nearly impossible for Phoenix to move the three-time All-Star.
The Suns, who are in the middle of a retool after trading Kevin Durant to Houston, have the opportunity to waive and stretch Beal’s contract, the same move the Bucks pulled with Damian Lillard last week.
However, stretched contacts must only count for up to 15% of the current salary cap ($154.6 million), meaning Beal would need to give back close to $14 million to the Suns. According to salary-cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, the move would put Phoenix under the second apron and luxury tax while also saving the team more than $200 million due to the avoidance of repeater penalties.
How Does Beal Benefit?
A buyout would give Beal the option to choose where he would like to land. Beal’s play has been criticized due to his contract, but he still averaged 17 points last year on efficient shooting. He should demand significant interest given a much lower price tag.
He also wouldn’t lose the full $14 million, because it’s commonplace for bought-out players who give up some money to recoup the majority—or all—of the gap from their new team.
A recent example is Deandre Ayton, who had an expiring deal worth $35.5 million with the Trail Blazers before he was bought out. Ayton signed with the Lakers for $8.1 million per season, and he will make $34 million this year in combined salary from the two teams—a net loss of $1.5 million—according to ESPN.
Where Would Beal Land?
It is fairly late in free agency, so there isn’t a ton of available cap space on contending teams. However, a couple of notable teams still have exceptions available:
- Nuggets: Denver has the full taxpayer mid-level exception worth about $5.7 million. Beal would likely come off the bench, and the Nuggets have already bolstered their backcourt (Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr.), but Beal could still play his way into a starting job.
- Clippers: Los Angeles has more than $5 million remaining on its mid-level exception. The Clippers traded Norman Powell to the Heat on Monday, which gives Beal the opportunity to slot into a key playmaker role around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
He could sign with any team for the veteran minimum ($3.6 million for players with more than 10 years of experience). That includes the Lakers, Heat, and Bucks. (Beal admitted last year that he was nearly traded to Milwaukee in exchange for Khris Middleton.)
Jake Fischer, an NBA insider working for The Stein Line and Bleacher Report, said on Monday that the Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Bucks could potentially sign Beal.
