Suns’ Mat Ishbia: No-trade clause wasn’t the issue with Bradley Beal

There was a lot of frustration surrounding Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause and the roadblock it appeared to cause as the Phoenix Suns tried to right a sinking ship to no avail last season.

But for as much as it grinded people’s gears toward the end of his failed Phoenix tenure that ended with the guard being waived and stretched, it wasn’t the major snag many thought it was, Suns owner Mat Ishbia told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday.

"We're going to build around a different identity here and Brad Beal was not a part of that going forward."

Suns owner Mat Ishbia joined @BurnsAndGambo and explained the decision to waive and stretch Bradley Beal.

Full interview: https://t.co/MbgZ3kabCA pic.twitter.com/1xe2QQDVB9

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 19, 2025

“On Brad Beal specifically, it was, ‘Hey, he doesn’t fit in here. Let’s let him go do good things in his career. We wish him nothing but the best. But we’re going to build around a different identity here and Brad Beal is not part of that going forward,'” Ishbia said.

“With the decision on the waive and stretch, people all thought the no-trade clause caused an issue. The no-trade clause wasn’t an issue with Brad Beal. Brad Beal would have done whatever we needed to do. He’s nothing but a good guy across the board. Problem is nobody really wanted to trade for someone on a $53 million salary that wasn’t playing at that level.”

While Beal came to town with the billing of rounding out Phoenix’s Big 3 alongside star Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, the guard was anything but as injuries and inconsistent play plagued his two seasons in the Valley.

In 106 games played for the Suns (91 starts), Beal averaged 17 points per game on 50.5% shooting and 40.7% from 3-point land. He added 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a steal across 32.7 minutes per game.

It was clear from the on-court product that Beal was not a fit in Phoenix.

However it happened, removing Beal from the equation this offseason and getting Phoenix under the luxury tax and first apron were among the biggest priorities, right up there with trading away Kevin Durant for draft assets and veteran pieces.

“He was nothing but appreciative of his time here. Disappointed that it didn’t work. Disappointed that he can’t stay with the Phoenix Suns. And he handled it like a gentleman and a professional that he is,” Ishbia said of Beal.

And with Beal officially off the roster and headed to Los Angeles, Ishbia and the Suns can get back to aligning the franchise for long-term success centered around star Devin Booker and a lengthier Suns roster.

“We are always going to try to win and we are going to be aggressive. But the difference going forward is I’m going to personally be involved … in making sure that the players we get are aligned with the vision and identity that I’m talking about,” Ishbia said. “The grit, the toughness, the things that we believe in.

“There’s going to be things we do differently in Phoenix and I promise you we’re not going to be trading for players that aren’t aligned with that vision anymore. We’re completely going forward with a different look, a different feel and we’re going to get this thing right going forward.”

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