Bradley Beal details ‘what hurts most’ about Suns’ disappointing season
After the Suns' home finale on Friday, Bradley Beal said he's going to deal with speculation about his long-term future the same way he has all year.
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After the Phoenix Suns’ home finale on Friday, Bradley Beal said he’s going to deal with speculation about his long-term future the same way he has all year.
“It doesn’t bother me, man,” Beal told reporters. “Everybody’s going to have an opinion about something. … You’re entitled to it, you know, but nobody knows what happens internally. Nobody knows what we deal with and how we handle things and how we go about our jobs, our career, so we take pride in it.
“It is disheartening, it is unfortunate. Nobody’s probably more pissed off than we are as a team,” he continued. “But we know (owner Mat Ishbia) is going to demand some changes, so we just got to be ready to hear what he wants to do.”
Trade chatter has surrounded the former all-star for much of his tenure in Phoenix, and he’s set to earn $53.7 million in 2025-26 before a $57.1 million player option for 2026-27.
However, due to his no-trade clause and the second tax apron the team finds itself in, moving him would certainly take tactical maneuvering, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks detailed to Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Monday.
For example, Phoenix could not waive-and-stretch Beal because stretch money can’t exceed 15% of the salary cap and Beal’s would be $22-25 million (15.7-17.9% of the 2024-25 cap). So, it would take Beal agreeing to a buyout where he gets less money than what’s currently owed to him.
“It definitely wasn’t ideal for what everybody envisioned,” Beal said of the campaign. “It was another injury-plagued year for me a little bit. But, you know, you control what you can control, and that’s my biggest takeaway. Just give it your all in making sure that you’re available, and a lot of times I wasn’t.
“So that definitely falls on me. But a lot of things happen in a game and your body reacts certain ways, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s tough, man. It is tough, but I don’t let it get me down. I just keep moving forward. We got a good team, and we’re going to keep building.”
What did Bradley Beal say was missing from the Suns in 2024-25?
Beal called the Suns’ lacking defensive effort and general low energy the biggest Achilles heels of their season.
He said he’s confident in what Phoenix has, but also called himself “the most naive person you’ll ever meet in the world” for his belief.
“We couldn’t put it together like we liked, but nobody hates the other man, nobody dislikes anybody else,” Beal said. “Like, I love Phoenix. I love being here. I hope that I can continue to be here. But I know Mat is going to probably make some changes, but I enjoyed this group. It’s a fun group to be a part of.”
The locker room and camaraderie in it were great, he added. Bringing joy to the court was a goal of his in the final weeks of the season.
“That’s what kind of hurts us the most is that we were a connected team. We were together, and we just couldn’t put it together on the floor,” Beal said.
Bradley Beal’s thoughts on year with Suns coach Mike Budenholzer
“Obviously, it’s going to be an adjustment for everybody coming in, and I think he had a year off so he was just getting used to being around us early on and us getting implement(ed) into his system and kind of how he wanted us to play,” Beal said on Friday. “I mean, I think he did a solid job. He’s a very tough coach. Like he’s very demanding. He holds us to a high standard for sure.”
The Suns are riding a 1-8 stretch going into their final game of the season on Sunday, with Friday’s win ending an eight-game skid.
Their season began with a dramatic contrast, however, as Phoenix started 9-2 in its first games with Budenholzer back on an NBA sideline after a year away from the game.
However, the 24-35 mark over the middle 59 games of the season indicates the 1-8 stretch to close the season was more telling than the 9-2 start.
Beal played in nine of the 11 initial contests but missed the next five to open the middle segment, going on to play in 53 of 81 games thus far.
Phoenix’s record in those 53 games is 22-31. It is 14-14 without him.
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Comments
34 Comments
So many things wrong with Beals statement but one statement caught my attention.
"We got a good team, and we’re going to keep building.”
You have a bad team and you are so financially hamstrung that you can't keep building.
"Am I worth $110M over the next two years? Based on my play the last two years, of course not. Not even close. Look, I know I haven't come close to living up to earning my contract and that the no trade clause is a completely understandable source of frustration for fans and ownership but they knew what my contract was in that regard. At the same time, I want to stay true to the game I love and true to myself. And in doing that I have to be sn honest evaluator of the total situation because it affects not just me but the trajectory of an entire franchise. I may be open to some concessions but that's to be addressed this summer."
- what Bradley Beal SHOULD have said if he was being forthright & honest
"Forthright & honest" 🤔 hmm..
If Bradley Beal was being a stand up guy, knowing he hasn't come anywhere near earning his contract money for YEARS now, he'd agree to a buyout at half of his agreed contract, which would still pay him $55M over two seasons while he can latch on with any team that wants and needs his skillset to help put them over the top. I would respect the heck out of any athlete that would do that. It says something about a person.
Not many of us are that principled though, are we?
CP3 was a known quality, with some age-related limitations. Beal was a crapshoot. Yet nobody regarded Beal as a floor general, except maybe Ishbia/Isaiah.
Makes you wonder where the Suns would be now had Ishbia done absolutely nothing but hand the reins to Jones.