Bradley Beal

Heat Notes: Mitchell, Powell, Beal, Lillard, Fontecchio, Ware

July 8th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Davion Mitchell, who re-signed with the Heat this week after playing the best basketball of his NBA career following a trade-deadline deal that sent him to Miami, said on Tuesday that the organization is “completely different” from the other NBA teams he has spent time with (Sacramento and Toronto).

“One, coach (Erik Spoelstra) is one of the greatest coaches of all time,” Mitchell said when asked what makes Miami different, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “So just learning from him, just asking questions, you won’t get any better answers from anybody else, I think. And just my teammates, my teammates wanted me here, they embraced me here, they wanted me to be myself. If I can be somewhere and be myself, I know I can be the best player I can be.”

As good as Mitchell was in during his 30 regular season games with Miami, the team struggled during those contests, posting a 10-20 record. He’s optimistic that working together this offseason will help put the Heat in a better position to open the 2025/26 season.

“It’s going to be good for me and the team, just the chemistry that we can build,” Mitchell said. “We won a couple games, we even made it to the playoffs with very little chemistry, especially with injuries and just getting traded here. So we didn’t really know how to jell with one another. I feel like we kind of figured it out a little bit (near the end of the season. But to have a training camp with one another, just to go at each other, just to learn from one another, spend time outside of basketball with each other, I think is going to build a lot of team chemistry.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Mitchell is excited about Miami’s addition of Norman Powell, noting that the veteran wing will bring championship experience to the team. “He’s a winning player, he plays both sides of the ball, he can score with the best of them,” Mitchell said. “He kind of does it all. Even if he’s not shooting the ball well, he can disrupt defensively. So you want guys like that on the floor that can help you win like that.”
While the acquisition of Powell makes a Bradley Beal signing a long shot, the Heat are still in play as a possible Damian Lillard landing spot, Chiang writes in another Miami Herald story. However, Chiang believes Miami’s odds would increase if Lillard waits until midway through the season or next offseason to sign his next contract.
New Heat forward Simone Fontecchio, acquired from Detroit in the Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade, is hoping to fill a similar offensive role to the one Robinson played in Miami, according to Chiang. “I watched a lot of Duncan Robinson in the last three years, because I think our skill set is pretty similar,” Fontecchio said. “Of course, he’s a tremendous shooter and he did an amazing job all the years in Miami and I was always kind of looking at him, the way he was getting off shots and I always kind of wanted to do the same thing. I think I can try to play like a little bit off handoffs, running off screens, do a little bit of that.”
Sharing his takeaways from the Heat’s second Summer League game at this week’s California Classic, Chiang writes that the team will want to see more going forward out of second-year center Kel’el Ware, who put up an underwhelming stat line of 12 points (on 4-of-10 shooting) and three rebounds in 28 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers. As we noted last week, the Heat’s coaching staff had hoped Ware would “dominate” Summer League play ahead of his second NBA season.

Where Things Stand In NBA Free Agency

July 8th, 2025 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

We’re now into the second week of the NBA’s 2025/26 league year, and while free agency has been resolved for many top players, there are still a number of intriguing names who don’t yet have new contract agreements in place.

Let’s check in on where things stand for some of those players…

The restricted free agents

While they’re not the only four restricted free agents still on the board, there are four names who make up the top tier of notable unsigned RFAs, with each of them ranking among our top 10 free agents as of June 30. Those four players are Josh Giddey (Bulls), Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Quentin Grimes (Sixers), and Cam Thomas (Nets).

The restricted free agent market will likely play out very slowly this summer, given that there are essentially no teams (with the possible exception of Brooklyn) in position to sign any one of those players to the kind of offer sheet that would give the player’s current team pause. Here’s what we know about each of those four RFAs:

Josh Giddey (Bulls)
The expectation is that Giddey will remain in Chicago, so it’ll just be a matter of figuring out exactly what his next contract looks like. His camp is reportedly hoping to match (or, presumably, exceed) the five-year, $150MM extension that Jalen Suggs signed with Orlando last fall. Whether the Bulls are willing to go that high in terms of annual salary and/or years remains to be seen.

Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
The Kings, Wizards, Heat, Bulls, Bucks, and Nets were among the teams said last week to have expressed varying level of interest in a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga. However, some of those teams have since made moves that will make Kuminga a less appealing – or practical – fit.

Sacramento has reportedly been the most aggressive suitor for Kuminga so far, having “floated” the idea a package that included 2024 first-rounder Devin Carter and two second-round picks.

But with no deal imminent, the expectation is that the 22-year-old and his camp will meet at the Las Vegas Summer League with interested teams, including the Warriors. A return to Golden State remains very much in play despite Kuminga’s up-and-down tenure in Golden State so far.

Quentin Grimes (Sixers)
The Sixers remain very confident that they’ll re-sign Grimes sooner or later and have “splashed cold water” on possible sign-and-trade scenarios, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic. As with Giddey, it seems like the main question with Grimes isn’t where he’ll end up, but what his new contract with his current team will look like.

Cam Thomas (Nets)
We’ve heard very little since free agency opened about Thomas. In a Bleacher Report stream last Thursday (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said the Nets guard “does not really have a market, to my understanding.”

Brooklyn is the only team in the league operating below the minimum salary floor, so it’s not as if the Nets are going to be outbid by a rival suitor — it certainly seems as if the only way Thomas ends up on a new team this offseason is if Brooklyn doesn’t want to bring him back.

The veteran unrestricted free agents

The next four highest-ranked unsigned players from our top-50 list after those four restricted free agents are long-tenured veterans. Here’s what we know about those players:

Chris Paul
The Clippers, Suns, and Bucks have been the teams most frequently linked to Paul in recent days. Milwaukee probably offers the best path to a starting role, which is something that’s reportedly important to the longtime NBA point guard, but he also wants to be close to his family in Los Angeles, which could give an edge to those two Western Conference teams.

Russell Westbrook
Another L.A. native who would reportedly like to play closer to home, Westbrook was said to be drawing legitimate interest from the Kings, but that was when it looked like Sacramento was going to trade Malik Monk. If that doesn’t happen, there may not be a spot on the Kings’ backcourt (or on the team’s cap) for Westbrook.

Al Horford
While Horford has been linked to several teams in the last week or two, the one constant has been the Warriors, who continue to look like the frontrunner to land the big man if he doesn’t retire. Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) reported on Monday that Horford continued to mull his options, with no deal imminent.

I suspect Golden State wants to resolve its Kuminga situation before officially committing its taxpayer mid-level exception to Horford, since doing so would hard-cap the team at the second tax apron and potentially complicate its ability to match an aggressive offer sheet for Kuminga.

Malcolm Brogdon
Reporting on Monday indicated that the Clippers, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, Bucks, Pelicans, and Kings have all conveyed at least some level of interest in Brogdon. With some other higher-profile guards still out there, Brogdon may be the Plan B for some teams, which would mean he’d have to wait for some of those other players to commit before his options really crystalize.

The two veteran guards who aren’t yet free agents

Damian Lillard is currently on waivers and Bradley Beal is still working on a buyout with the Suns, but the expectation is that both players will reach unrestricted free agency pretty soon.

Lillard is a bit of a wild card, since he’s likely to miss the 2025/26 season due to an Achilles tear. He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing with a team sooner rather than later, and there will certainly be no shortage of clubs who would welcome the opportunity to help him with his rehab process and get a leg up on retaining him for ’26/27. But he’s not the type of player who will help a team win in the short term.

Beal, on the other hand, is coming off a pretty solid offensive season and would become a much more valuable investment if he’s on a contract that’s closer to his minimum salary than his maximum. The Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Warriors are among the teams believed to have interest in signing Beal.

With many of those clubs also eyeing Paul, Brogdon, or other guards, Beal may be the first domino to fall — if and when he finds a new team, the ones that miss out can shift their focus elsewhere in earnest. The Clippers are rumored to the favorites for Beal, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.

The trades that aren’t yet official

As our full breakdown of this offseason’s trades shows, there are only two agreed-upon deals that aren’t yet official: Denver’s acquisition of Cameron Johnson from the Nets, plus the Jonas Valanciunas/Dario Saric swap between the Nuggets and Kings.

There has been speculation that the Nuggets will combine both of those agreements into a single transaction to avoid creating a hard cap at the first tax apron. At the very least, as NBA insider Marc Stein tweets, Denver needs to get the Johnson/Michael Porter Jr. trade done before the deal with the Kings in order to be able to get below the first apron. That will allow the Nuggets to take back more salary than they send out for Saric.

The Nets may be thoroughly exploring scenarios for how to take full advantage of their current cap room before they finalize that trade with the Nuggets, since it will cut into their space significantly — swapping Johnson for Porter will use up $17MM+ of their room.

The delay on these deals is not an indication that the Valanciunas/Saric deal won’t eventually be finalized. Multiple reports have indicated it remains on track, despite Valanciunas’ reported desire to get out of his NBA contract and sign with the Greek team Panathinaikos. Multiple reports, including another one from Stein on Monday night (Twitter link), have also indicated that the Nuggets have told the veteran center they intend to keep him and want him to honor his contract.

For what it’s worth, a report from SDNA in Greece indicates that Panathinaikos was assured by Valanciunas’ representation that the Nuggets would let him out of his NBA deal and was surprised to find out that Denver hadn’t signed off on that plan at all.

Although those two Denver deals are the only ones we know about that aren’t official, that doesn’t mean there won’t be more trades still to come — the Clippers, Heat, and Jazz, for instance, agreed to a three-team trade on Monday and finalized it later in the day. It’s possible that more deals could be around the corner as teams and executives congregate for Summer League action.

Norman Powell To Heat, John Collins To Clippers In Three-Team Trade

July 7th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:21 pm: The three-team trade is official, according to a press release from the Jazz.

9:27 am: The Clippers, Jazz and Heat have reached an agreement on a three-team trade, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal will send Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to L.A. and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to Utah.

Powell is coming off the best scoring season of his career and will bring more offensive punch to Miami’s backcourt. After finishing fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting in consecutive seasons, Powell was moved into the starting lineup and responded by averaging 21.8 points per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.8% from three-point range.

Powell, 32, will make $20.5MM next season before becoming a free agent in 2026. He’s eligible for a three-year extension worth $77.4MM. Those limits would increase to $128.5MM over four years in six months.

The Clippers were reluctant to give Powell a long-term extension, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both signed through 2026/27, the team is preserving cap space for 2027 free agency.

Miami will use the expanded traded player exception to acquire Powell, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), hard-capping them at the first tax apron, and will be $1.3MM over the luxury tax line once the deal is complete.

Miami will be just $3.9MM away from that first-apron threshold once the trade is complete, so it won’t be able to use the full taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.7MM, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), who also speculates that acquiring Powell means the team is probably no longer a logical fit for Bradley Beal, who is believed to be nearing a buyout with Phoenix.

Collins, 27, will bring more frontcourt depth to a Clippers team that recently added Brook Lopez in free agency. Collins has been a starter in Utah since being acquired from Atlanta two years ago, but he was limited to 40 games last season. He has one year left on his contract at $26.6MM and can sign an extension worth up to $100.5MM over three years, per Marks. While a massive payday is unlikely for Collins, it’s worth noting those extension limits would increase six months after the trade to $166.7MM over four years.

L.A. is now $6.7MM below the first apron with $5.3MM of its mid-level exception remaining, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). With their top three-point shooter now gone, Gozlan expects the Clippers to be in the market for Beal.

Anderson, 31, has been a useful contributor on contending teams throughout his career, but it’s not clear how he fits in with the rebuilding Jazz. His contract covers two more seasons at $9.2MM and $9.7MM, but 2026/27 is non-guaranteed. Love, who’ll turn 37 in September, has a $4.15MM expiring deal and will likely become a buyout candidate.

Gozlan notes that Utah can create a $26.6MM trade exception by using the mid-level exception to take on Anderson and Love (Twitter link). Alternatively, the Jazz could create roughly $22MM in cap space by waiving the non-guaranteed contracts of KJ Martin ($8MM) and Jaden Springer ($2.4MM) and could be in position to make a play for one of the remaining free agents.

It sounds like Utah will continue operating over the cap, going the trade exception route, tweets Marks.

Free Agent Rumors: Guards, Kuminga, Pacers, Hayes

July 7th, 2025 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

An expectation that Bradley Beal will soon become an unrestricted free agent is affecting the markets for free agent guards Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Malcolm Brogdon, who are drawing interest from many of the same teams, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Fischer, the Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Timberwolves are among the teams expected to have interest in signing Beal if and when he finalizes a buyout agreement with the Suns, which seems increasingly likely. A previous report also identified the Warriors as a possible suitor for Beal, with the Heat viewed as less likely after their trade for Norman Powell.

The Clippers and Bucks are known to have interest in Paul, Fischer points out, so if Beal ends up with one of those teams, it would likely rule that club out for CP3, perhaps increasing the odds of the 40-year-old reuniting with the Suns.

As for Brogdon, he has the Clippers, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Bucks are also among the teams that have registered some level of interest in him, along with the Pelicans and Kings, Fischer reports.

Free agents like De’Anthony Melton and Ben Simmons may also find themselves involved in this game of backcourt musical chairs, according to Fischer, who suggests that their potential landing spots should become more clearer once one or two of those top guards – starting with Beal – finds a new home.

Here are a few more notes on free agents from around the NBA:

There was no traction on the Jonathan Kuminga front over the weekend, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Slater, the Kings have been the most aggressive suitor for the Warriors restricted free agent so far, but nothing has come close. In fact, the market for all of the top restricted free agents remains “ice cold,” Slater adds.
The Pacers are expected to reunite with a pair of familiar faces to fill out their frontcourt. Speaking to reporters today, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said the club is planning to re-sign James Wiseman and that things are trending in the right direction with restricted free agent Isaiah Jackson (Twitter links via Tony East).
Veteran center Jaxson Hayes gave up his right to veto a trade this season when he re-signed with the Lakers, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). By default, a player re-signing with his previous team on a one-year contract gets a de facto no-trade clause, but a team can ask a player to waive that right as part of his new deal.

Pacific Notes: Collins, Beal, Warriors, Kuminga, Suns

July 7th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers view John Collins as their likely starter at power forward, according to Law Murray and John Hollinger of The Athletic. Collins, who is being acquired from Utah in a three-team trade, brings an athletic presence to L.A.’s frontcourt and adds more size to a team that had trouble matching up with Denver in its first-round playoff series.

Collins can be effective next to starting center Ivica Zubac, the authors note, and provides a good complement to backup Brook Lopez, a free agent addition who can space the floor for Collins to operate in the low post. Having more reliable big men also means less time at power forward for Kawhi Leonard and less responsibility for James Harden to guard opposing fours.

Norman Powell, who’s being sent to Miami in the deal, put together an outstanding offensive season, but he was less effective after the All-Star break, Murray and Hollinger observe. Some of the decline was because he was slowed by knee and hamstring issues, while Leonard’s return from injury also contributed. The authors state that Powell’s age, availability and fit all made the Clippers hesitant to give him an extension heading into the upcoming season.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers might pursue Bradley Beal if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Suns, but they’ll be limited because they only have $5.3MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception left to offer, notes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto lists Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Paul as other free agent guards the Clippers have expressed interest in.
The Warriors are also viewed as a potential landing spot for Beal, league sources tell Grant Afseth of RG. Golden State is still considered a strong candidate to add Boston center Al Horford, while landing Beal would provide another proven scoring threat to ease the Burden on Stephen Curry. The Warriors are also trying to determine how to handle restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, and Afseth echoes a recent report that sign-and-trade talks with the Kings and other teams haven’t resulted in much progress.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic looks at how the Suns are planning to rebuild around Devin Booker, who’s expected to receive a two-year, $150MM extension this summer.

Bradley Beal Actively Exploring Options In Anticipation Of Buyout

July 6th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Eli Cohen

Bradley Beal is actively exploring options with other teams around the NBA ahead of a possible buyout from the Suns, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Stein adds that Beal is expected to have a number of suitors if and when he hits unrestricted free agency.

The Suns have struggled to find a trade partner for Beal, given both the no-trade clause included in his contract and his high cap hit. As a free agent, however, he would represent one of the top talents on the market.

Fred Katz of The Athletic confirms that there is mutual optimism between Beal and the Suns that they will be able to reach terms on a buyout.

In order for the Suns to exercise the stretch provision on the two years and $110.8MM left on Beal’s contract, he would have to give back roughly $13.9MM in order to meet league rules prohibiting a team from exceeding 15% of the salary cap in stretched money. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link) expects that to happen, citing a source who believes a buyout agreement is “imminent.”

Beal averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game last season while shooting 49.7% from the field, 38.6% on three-pointers, and 80.3% from the free throw line while splitting time between the starting lineup and sixth man role, a lineup decision that ultimately proved unable to turn the Suns’ disappointing season around.

While the Heat and Bucks have been cited as team with interest in Beal, he’ll likely have several more suitors beyond those two teams.

Resolution On Bradley Beal Expected Soon

July 6th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns‘ Bradley Beal era may be nearing an end. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix (Twitter link) anticipates the two sides will come to a “decision and resolution” on Beal’s future within the next 24-48 hours.

Phoenix has been reportedly been discussing a buyout with the former three-time All-Star guard. The Heat and Bucks are rumored to have interest if the 6’4″ vet does indeed become a free agent.

Beal is still under contract for two more years at an exorbitant sticker price of $110.8MM and has a prohibitive no-trade clause in his deal, which has given him major leverage in dictating his fate. The Suns made him available prior to the trade deadline and did so again this offseason, but have had no luck finding a suitable deal.

Beal hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games across any of the past six seasons, missing an average of 26.5 contests a year in that span. When healthy, he’s a solid scorer, although he struggled to mesh with All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker during his time in Phoenix.

As a member of the 36-46 Suns in 2024/25, Beal appeared in just 53 contests but averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest, with a strong shooting line of .497/.386/.803. Former head coach Mike Budenholzer tinkered with Beal’s place in his rotation, moving him back and forth between the starting lineup and a reserve role.

Resolution on Beal’s situation doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be waived, though it seems like the most probable outcome. He must agree to give up at least $13.8MM in a buyout for the Suns to be permitted to stretch his remaining salary across five seasons, as we detailed earlier this week. That scenario would create huge cap flexibility and tax savings for Phoenix this season, allowing the club to move from above the second tax apron to below the luxury tax line.

The Suns could also waive Beal and carry his remaining salary on their books for the next two seasons, without stretching it. The other alternative would be to reach a decision to have him start the season on the roster.

If Beal reaches free agency, the Bucks may be more motivated than the Heat to make another splashy signing this summer, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald suggests (Twitter link).

Milwaukee has been extremely aggressive in its efforts to build a contender around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of a devastating Achilles tendon tear injury to his All-Star running mate Damian Lillard. The Bucks ultimately opted to stretch-and-waive Lillard’s contract in order to sign ex-Pacers center Myles Turner to a lucrative free agent deal, but the team still could use some veteran leadership in the backcourt.

Scotto’s Latest: Rollins, Hornets, Bucks, Ayton, Valanciunas

July 4th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

After having his qualifying offer withdrawn by the Bucks earlier this week, free agent guard Ryan Rollins is drawing interest from a handful of teams around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says the Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Lakers are among the clubs with Rollins on their radar.

A reunion with Milwaukee also hasn’t been ruled out either, Scotto reports. Even after rescinding his qualifying offer and making him an unrestricted free agent, the Bucks are in position to hang onto Rollins’ Early Bird rights, which would allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him after they use up all their room.

Portland still has its $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, while San Antonio and Los Angeles have the $5.1MM bi-annual exception on hand, Scotto writes. However, the Suns could only offer more than a minimum-salary deal if they shed salary — perhaps via a Bradley Beal buyout agreement.

Rollins had a modest breakout year this past season, registering averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800. He had only made 25 appearances across two NBA seasons prior to 2024/25.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Examining the Hornets‘ roster crunch, Scotto identifies Josh Okogie and DaQuan Jeffries – who are on non-guaranteed contracts – as candidates to be waived if no trade opportunities involving them arise. Executives who spoke to HoopsHype also view former first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. as a player who could be traded. That applies to veterans on expiring contracts like Pat Connaughton and Collin Sexton as well.
Before he agreed to re-sign with the Hornets, point guard Tre Mann received interest from the Bucks, Scotto reports. Milwaukee is in the market for additional point guard depth after losing Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear and subsequently planning to waive him.
Echoing reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Scotto says that teams who reached out to Trail Blazers officials for feedback on Deandre Ayton got positive reviews on the big man, who was a “community staple in Portland and hosted many team bonding events.” Reporting from The Athletic had suggested that Ayton’s attitude and bad habits played a part in the decision to part ways with him.
Addressing the Jonas Valanciunas situation, Scotto notes that the Nuggets have tried to acquire the veteran center for the past couple years and have envisioned him playing a significant role if he reports to Denver, giving superstar Nikola Jokic more opportunities to rest. Amid rumors that Valanciunas is traveling to Greece and hopes to sign with the EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, Scotto hears that the 33-year-old is expected to address the situation soon.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Beal, Suns, CP3, Bucks, Lillard, Heat

July 3rd, 2025 at 10:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Heat had exploratory talks this week about the possibility of a Bradley Beal trade, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, those discussions “ultimately collapsed,” resulting in a rising belief that the veteran guard will ultimately be bought out by Phoenix.

If the two sides do end up working out a buyout agreement, expect the Heat to show interest in signing Beal as a free agent, per Fischer and Stein, who say the Bucks would also be interested in adding the three-time All-Star if he reaches free agency.

Here’s more from The Stein Line duo:

In addition to looking more seriously at a possible Beal buyout, the Suns have also engaged in conversations with teams about various trade scenarios involving center Nick Richards and wings Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, Stein and Fischer say.
After turning away interest from the Mavericks and Hornets earlier in free agency, Chris Paul continues to consider the Suns and Clippers. Stein and Fischer confirm he’s also receiving interest from the Bucks, who have been on the lookout for another point guard in the hopes of filling the sizable hole left by Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury (and impending release). ESPN’s Shams Charania said during a Thursday SportsCenter appearance that Paul, who is known to prefer playing closer to his family in Los Angeles, spoke to Bucks officials on Wednesday (hat tip to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report).
Speaking of Lillard, Stein and Fischer classify the Heat‘s interest in signing the Oakland native as “serious,” but acknowledge that the injured star will likely be in no rush to sign his next contract.
The Pacers, Kings, and Pelicans are among the other teams who remain on the hunt for another point guard, Stein and Fischer write.

Suns Discussing Possible Bradley Beal Buyout

July 3rd, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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