The Suns have been discussing a potential buyout of the two years left on Bradley Beal‘s contract, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Beal was the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2024/25 season and those rumors have carried over to the offseason. However, the $110.8MM he’s owed over the next two years have made it extremely difficult to find a trade partner, and the no-trade clause Beal holds further limits the Suns’ leverage, since he would need to approve any move.
As a result, a buyout has been viewed as the most likely path to a split between Beal and the Suns this summer.
If Beal is willing to give back some of that $110.8MM, it could also open the door for Phoenix to use the stretch provision to spread his remaining cap hits over the next five years instead of two, like Milwaukee is doing with Damian Lillard. That would create significant short-term savings for the Suns – an estimated $230MM, per cap expert Yossi Gozalan (Twitter link) – by taking their team salary from above the second tax apron to all the way under the luxury tax line.
NBA rules prohibit a team from carrying stretching a contract if it will result in dead money in a future cap year that exceeds 15% of the current season’s salary cap. Since the cap for 2025/26 was set at $154,647,000, that means no club can have more than $23,197,050 in stretched dead money on its books in ’26/27 or beyond.
Stretching the $110,794,880 owed to Beal across five seasons would result in annual cap hits of $22,158,976, which would fit within that limit. But Phoenix already has $3,814,041 in stretched salary on its cap through ’26/27 related to last year’s cuts of Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell.
In order to sneak below that 15% threshold to legally stretch Beal’s contract, the team would need him to give up at least $13,879,835. For the 32-year-old to consider that, he’d probably have to feel comfortable about making up most or all of that money on a deal with a new team across the next two seasons.
If Beal were bought out, any of the NBA’s other 29 teams could legally sign him. The Collective Bargaining Agreement prevent teams operating over the tax aprons from signing a waived player if his pre-waiver salary exceeds the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM this year), but that rule only applies to players waived and signed during the regular season.
If the Suns were to use the stretch provision on Beal’s salary, they would be ineligible to re-sign him until July 2027, after his contract would have expired.
Suns have enough talents to make playoffs
Trade Jalen Green for a young PF
But which team would be willing to send a young PF for Green? His value is down, so I’m not sure teams would be willing to do that without draft picks attached, of which the Suns have few. You might be able to think of a team but one isn’t popping into my head. Zion would be an interesting move.
Yes, I could see them getting the #10 seed with all that talent.
Might I interest you in Kyle Kuzma???
-Sincerely,
A Bucks Fan
😂😂😂 I already know the answer and don’t blame you.
lol
Lillard’s buyout shocked me, this one if it happens, not so much.
They HAVE to do this after the Dame buy-out. No excuses anymore.
…and every NBA analyst has criticized the buyout as not a good move
Is having a dead cap hit of $23MM fiscally responsible? No. But for teams like the Bucks and Suns who have star players in their prime this is a necessary move to remain competitive when a deal goes bad.
After Dame torn his achilles, the owners already knew they would be eating $50+ million this season and there isn’t any guarantee he’ll be worth the remaining salary next year. So they decided to bite the bullet now instead of waste a year of Giannis’ prime. It might seem shrewd to most but not when you are wasting away the prime years of a franchise player.
Now the Beal situation is a little different since they already traded away KD but the premise remains the same if you are wanting to move forward without players you feel are restricting your ability to win.
Also many of these experts fail to recognize, the new tv deal goes into effect soon which will significantly increase the salary cap making the dead money less restrictive.
The Suns situation is a little different than the Bucks? “A little” is doing a lot of work there…
Suns probably should have properly discussed Beal before even trading for him. But since that mistake has been made, a buyout is the next best thing.
It was all testosterone, bringing beal to phx … now, deflated asset
Suns should make him decline the player option, sign him to a 4 year extension worth about 57 million total instead, and then waive and stretch him for 11 years at 10 million euros per year?
Maybe if the league decided to start spelling suns l-a-k-e-r-s
It all come down to for Beal to except the buy-out deal or wave the no trade option if he wants to play in the NBA this coming season. If that fails just tell him not to show up to practices or games, just stay away from the team. Phoenix has made it clear that Beal has no place on this team for next season, that is really clear.
You act like Beal is Simmons. What did he do other than get paid? Can’t fault him. Suns are to blame.
I feel bad for the guy. He negotiated for a no trade clause because it was valuable to him. Who knows what he gave up, if anything, to get it. But it must really suck to have a whole fanbase pi$$ed off at you for nothing.
He gave up nothing. He got the max. The money is to make up for the lifetime of criticism.
Why would he give up $13.8M? Would you? It’s not like he would give that money up to go play for another team. He’s already not going to play anyway. He was probably injured just reading this article.
A chance to compete for a championship for the first time in his career? It makes sense what you’re saying. He’s made a ton of money maybe he could go for a chip before he is too old to contribute.
For some reason, I don’t think it’s this guy‘s MO.
I get the feeling he’s totally content to make his gazillion dollars and ride off into the sunset.
One championship is not going to improve his legacy one iota and he knows that.
He’s stated several times that he doesn’t want to uproot his family and he doesn’t want to move away from them in order to play somewhere else. To some people some things are more important than championship rings.
This is exactly correct. Beal has repeatedly expressed this sentiment. Seems like people hold it against him. like just because he’s rich he shouldn’t have regard for how his wife and kids feel about living in a particular place. Championships aren’t everything to everyone.
Agree, and Brad’s a good dude. He could be valuable to someone this year at $14.1 million.
He’s certainly worth $13M to some team. He’ll get back that money he gives up, provided someone has room for him. His agents should be talking to teams now.
Well, if he really wants to play then the question is whether he thinks he get the non-taxpayer mid level exception ($14.1 million) from some team or fit into some other trade or room exception right? I mean, he could end up making more money after all of this, as I believe is happening as we speak with Ayton, who I think gave up less from Portland than he will get from the LA Lakers.
Heat would be interested in Beal at the right price if bought out… would have to fit into one of the mid level exemptions….
How does Beal feel knowing he can’t even replace Duncan Robinson
I don’t know the man, but everything I’m hearing or reading says that I’m inclined to think this guy is not giving up a dime.
I don’t believe Beale should give up a dime if he doesn’t want to. He has a contract and nobody has ever accused him of not giving best effort.
As for the no-trade clause, Beale was willing to waive it once to come to Phoenix, but declined to remove it from his contract permanently. Ishbia acquired Beale regardless.
This situation is entirely of Ishbia’s making.
I don’t think he should give up a dime either. But many players do to facilitate the buyout.
Gary, we agree. It just annoys me when fans blame a veteran player for not wanting to give up a large portion of his contract for their sake.
Es un gran error contratar jugadores viejos con historial de lecciones,se les deberian contratos grandes hasta los 34 años y despues el minimo
OK ……….. I don’t care about Beal or Suns.
I can’t believe the salary cap is this ::
The Tax Level for the 2025‑26 season is $187.895 million. The Salary Cap and Tax Level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 1. Teams are permitted to begin negotiating with all free agents today at 6:00 p.m. ET — six hours prior to the start of the league’s “moratorium period.”
And SGA is getting 70 mill on a new deal. Which means on my calculator is 37% of that tax level.
HTF you going to pay ONE player 37% of cap. Which means you are saying the other 11 players are worth 63% of that 187,895 mill. Which means let me get my calculator. Comes out to be …..117,895 mill. On what team of any sport. Is one player worth 37% of whole team salary. Total BS to me ……
No player in NBA should get more than 30% of team cap. Therefore you can actually have two or three stars for a few yrs on your team. A good team. Real stars like SGA . Can all make up the money in endorsements and investments. They don’t need to cripple their team with their salary. 30% is more than FAIR.
The Beal contracts happen cause of dumb GMs. A guy gets stats on a team that sucks. Then you pay him. Well I only pay guys who deserve it. Not who give false interpretation. I wouldn’t even draft these clowns like Zion….
Why do you think OneWay Wonder is in LA. Cause he was due a 350 mill max contract. For a one way player ……😱… by trading him he is due now 250 max. No one way player is worth max money. Its like paying for half the effort.
30% …….. 30% ……… 30% ………… 30% ………..
It’s by design Al. They want every team to be good and have a couple of stars.
Two max guys, a couple guys making good money, and then the rest on minimums or salary cap exceptions. That’s just how they want to do it.
Yeah but its easier to do that at 30%. You look at OKC. Next year they have to move IHart and Caruso. This team is not even two years old yet. And they built strictly from draft. I understand what you are saying. But I strongly disagree. Paying 2-3 stars has become impossible this way. No team should be punished for drafting stars. 30% seems more fair to me. Plus your rotation guys deserve a decent check too lol.
It’s killing the product on the floor in terms of team basketball.
But Gary is correct, that’s the way “they” want it. Although the “they” here is not everyone. It’s the two groups that run the league. Small market owners (who have had supermajority control of the ownership group since before 2010), and superstar players (who have run the player’s union since a 2010 coup). These two groups created the 2011 work stoppage, and restructured the 2011 CBA to their benefit. Every CBA since has seen them doubling down. Stern was an enabler. Silver a useful idiot.
Exactly its killing their product. But its what we love best. Seeing a team grow for years. Cause they got it right. Now like Celtics lol. You gotta break them up after one year…
The money is there for all. Its better when you have 4-5 teams that have a Real shot at winning ….
I get managing the cap and talent. And managing the rich teams. But at 30% seems fair for most of the League. And not just the few …..
I’m a working man. I see this working for majority. As it should. Not for the privileged few. Stars will always get more. In opportunity and investment. Take care of the Team lol. Teams win not stars. God forbid you choose wrong star.
The 2011 CBA was designed, among other things, to move $$ to the top of the food chain, and all changes since have just gone further in that direction. Unfortunately, it’s more than just the max salary % levels that push the $$ that way. Waiting for the two dominant groups to change direction is futile. They don’t care about the sport. Silver is just their mouthpiece.
Only a change in the dominant owner and player groups can change things. Big market owners need to assert their collective leverage to gain more input in the ownership group. Non-superstar players need to push the union into a better distribution of the collective salaries paid to players. NOT just for their own immediate benefit, but the good of the sport going forward. Looking out for the latter is technically the purview of the Commissioner. But the NBA hasn’t had a real one for awhile.
That was a good read, KinckerbockerAl. I guess in SGA’s defense, he’s been to the top of the mountain – and there’s no reason to believe he won’t get his team there again…..and again…..and again maybe, aside from the fact there hasn’t been a repeat champion in a while. “OneWay Wonder” certainly doesn’t deserve over a third of the Lakers’ payroll – unless we’re talking about the South Bay Lakers, perhaps. But they usually tend to overpay when it comes to LA (Austin Reaves one notable anomaly). I’m still holding out hope “OneWay Wonder” secretly knows he’s not signing an extension to remain in LA; then we’d REALLY get to see how desperate Pejunka gets (assuming he’s still employed there) in trying to lure the next big superstar/one-way wonder.
I’m not hating on players getting theirs. Real stars deserve to earn. I’m saying be fair to the guys who help you win. We all got favorite teams. And we all know the 2-3 guys who don’t get the credit they deserve. This way when you have a real team. You can spend a little more on that 4-8 player on your team. 37% for one guy iut of 12 is nuts to me.
SGA will make plenty outside of balling. Cause who he is bro. He is the biggest thing in two Nations lol.. Its about team right.
If they want to pay Free Throw Merchant $70m/yr then let them. They won’t ever be able to bring in players once the league fixes SDA’s exploits.
Aircastle….bingo but but but it’s the next dynasty.
So so dumb , roll into the break and see where you stand .
The longer you wait the easier to get off him
If Matt wants to use his wallet as a weapon that Phx most definitely needs losing this salary slot while kicking over dead years is about the dumbest thing he could ever do
And the timing makes zero sense as if you did this 5 days ago you’d have a better talent pool fior 2026 to pull from
Whoever’s advising this to him prolly needs a pink slip
Yes, a waive and stretch (before Oct) can only make sense if its all about luxury tax this season. Hardly, a move one would expect from Ishiba.
The earliest a waive and stretch can help for personnel moves is next off sesaon (and that help is the same if you do it in season or at the start of next off season, so why not wait until you might actually know the benefits).
If its his presence with the team that bothers them, then they can just send him home for the season. If he doesn’t like his couch, then he can agree to a trade or a real (25%+) giveback.
I don’t see how creating 23 million of dead money over 5 years is more appealing than 2 years of a subpar player making 55 million. You kinda gotta ride this out. The Bucks are on their 2nd r 3rd mortgage with that team now so whenever Giannis doesn’t play for the Bucks they will be bad. They lost pretty much everything from their championship run and replaced it with Mylers Turner And Kyle Kuzma. Suns are going down that road too with Booker and a team of nobodies trying to win with no cap space. Chances are Booker and Giannis both bounce and leave their franchises in shambles.
He’s been an All-Star in the past, it’s not like he’s trash. He’s just overpaid. We see this ALL the time in sports. A guy is in a contract year and balls out. Let it ride, maybe he plays 75 games and puts up 25/5/5 while shooting 50% from the field. Heck, you could flip him at the deadline at that point too.
He’ll never get another $50M annual contract, but he could last a 5 year deal for $150M and be happy. If he stinks this year, he’s probably an Exception guy for the rest of his career.
Criticizing Beal for getting that contract is ridiculous. Anyone would accept a contract like that. The owners gave him the no trade. They didn’t have to. It is very likely he still would have signed. Things haven’t worked out. That’s just the way things go. If anyone is at fault, it is the ownership of the Suns and the Wizards.