Bradley Beal

Suns Notes: Beal, Dunn, Bol, Booker

April 12th, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal is disappointed with the way things turned out for the Suns and understands that a lot of the blame is directed toward him, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal’s contract, which pays him $53.6MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27, would be difficult to unload even if it didn’t include a no-trade clause. Phoenix would like to get rid of that financial burden to move under the second apron, but the front office couldn’t find a taker when it tried to move him before the deadline in hopes of landing Jimmy Butler.

Beal indicated at the time that he would veto a trade unless he was happy with the destination, which raised the ire of Suns fans. He also dealt with injuries that limited him to 53 games and lost his starting job for a while, saying he relied on faith to help get him through a difficult time. Despite the setbacks, he told reporters on Friday that he would be happy staying in Phoenix next season.

“I believe in what we got in there,” Beal said after the Suns snapped an eight-game losing streak. “Things happen. We didn’t have a good year. We couldn’t put it together like we wanted, but nobody hates the other man. Nobody dislikes anybody else. I love Phoenix. I love being here. Hopefully I can continue to be here, but I know (owner Mat Ishbia) is probably going to make some changes, but I enjoyed this group.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

Ryan Dunn turned in the best game of his rookie season Friday night, scoring a career-high 26 points and matching a career best with 11 rebounds, Rankin adds. He had 11 three-point attempts and has grown more confident in that part of his game as the season has worn on. “Just trusting my shot, just trusting my work, being aggressive on the offensive glass,” he said. “Got some tip-ins, got to the free-throw line.”
Among the complaints Suns fans have with coach Mike Budenholzer is his refusal to give regular minutes to Bol Bol, Rankin notes in the same piece. In the final home game of the season, the crowd cheered as Bol walked to the scorer’s table with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter, but Budenholzer changed his mind after San Antonio called a time out and Bol never entered the game. “I think they cut (the lead) to 22 or 20 or 18 or something like that and just stuck with Royce (O’Neale),” Budenholzer explained. “Kind of the veteran. Just make sure it didn’t get any closer. Royce had been out there and playing. Just loved his presence. Loves what he brings on both ends of the court in that situation.”
Devin Booker thanked Phoenix fans for remaining loyal through a rough season and offered a message of hope after Friday’s game, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). “Things will get better,” he said. “It took a true fan to be in there tonight and still support us through what type of season we had. So it was a pleasure to see, still smiles on faces and people cheering and happy to still watch us play.”

Suns Notes: Elimination, Budenholzer, Booker, Defense, Durant, Future

April 10th, 2025 at 8:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Head coach Mike Budenholzer wouldn’t speculate on his future after the Suns were officially eliminated from postseason contention with their eighth straight loss on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty raw right now, it’s pretty fresh,” Budenholzer said, per ESPN News Services. “It’s been tough. There’s no doubt about it. We haven’t been as good as we’ve needed to be and expected to be.”

Budenholzer was signed to a five-year, $50MM contract last spring after Frank Vogel was dismissed. Vogel lasted just one season with the franchise and Monty Williams was fired after the 2022/23 season, shortly after Mat Ishbia became the primary owner. Firing Budenholzer would mean four different head coaches in four seasons.

Budenholzer has been in frequent contact with Ishbia.

“He’s always pushing us to win. To try to find ways to win. He’s ultra competitive. It’s always very consistent from him,” Budenholzer said, as Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

Devin Booker said after the 125-112 loss to the Thunder that there’s plenty of blame to go around for the team’s collapse.

“There’s not one thing or one person or one player or one coach that’s the problem,” Booker said. “When you’ve had a season this bad, it’s a bunch of things. I think the most frustrating part is being that close a few years ago, and now being back to where we are.”

We have more on the league’s most disappointing team:

A lack of defensive discipline and toughness was a major reason why the Suns floundered, according to The Atheltic’s Doug Haller and Amos Morale III. With the payroll far above the second tax apron, the Suns were unable to make significant moves to improve the roster. Their failed attempt to acquire Jimmy Butler highlighted that point.
Kevin Durant was unavailable once again on Wednesday. He hasn’t played this month due to an ankle injury. “He’s making progress but regardless of wins and losses, we’ve got to see if he’s healthy,” Budenholzer said, per Rankin (Twitter link). “I don’t think there may even be a decision to make, but we’ll see how he does over the next 24 to 48 hours.” All signs point to Durant being traded this offseason, Rankin writes.
Phoenix is just the latest example of a franchise that made reckless moves and sacrificed future success for fleeting short-term gains rather than exercising patience, The Athletic’s John Hollinger opines. The Suns have traded all of their own draft picks through 2031 and have the league’s worst contract, according to Hollinger, who notes that Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause and is still owed more than $110MM over the next two seasons. The only real solution, Hollinger says, is to trade both Booker and Durant for draft capital and start a complete rebuild.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Udoka, Kings Pick, LaRavia, Beal

April 7th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry was hot on the court in recent games but he was only hot at the officials and the opposing coach on Sunday. After scoring 125 points combined in wins over the Grizzlies, Lakers and Nuggets, the Warriors superstar had more turnovers (four) than points (three) in the Rockets’ 106-96 win, Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes.

While heading to the locker room at halftime, Curry seemed frustrated about the way he was being defended. He crossed paths with Houston coach Ime Udoka, who said something to Curry that led to a terse exchange.

“When people start complaining about foul calls or crying about physicality, you’ve done your job,” Udoka said. “That’s the first step in winning the battle. So I told my team, when this team starts crying about it, up the intensity, up the aggressiveness, and make the refs adjust to you.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings owe the Hawks a first-rounder which is top-12 protected in this year’s draft. It’s still very much uncertain whether that pick will be conveyed, given Sacramento’s current status as a play-in team. James Ham of The Kings Beat takes an in-depth look at the scenarios where the Kings might retain the pick.
Kings forward Jake LaRavia is progressing through his rehab for what is now being called an incomplete scaphoid fracture of his left thumb, Ham tweets. LaRavia, who has been cleared for light on-court workouts, has been sidelined since March 25. He averaged 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game last month.
What should the Suns do with Bradley Beal this offseason — trade the oft-injured wing, waive him and use the stretch provision to spread out the financial burden, or buy him out? Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com (subscription required) takes a deep dive into each of those possibilities.

Suns Notes: Offseason, Budenholzer, Beal, Durant, Bol

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

The Suns are on the brink of elimination after losing their sixth straight game Sunday night in New York, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is winless since Kevin Durant suffered a sprained left ankle last weekend, and although there’s hope that he can resume playing, it may be too late. At 35-43, the Suns would have to catch either Sacramento (38-40) or Dallas (38-41) to sneak into the postseason.

As Rankin describes, Sunday’s game was typical of the recent slide as Phoenix was competitive for much of the night but still found a way to lose. The biggest problem against New York was three-point shooting as the Suns, who rank third in the league in that category at 38%, were a dreadful 4-of-34 from beyond the arc.

Although their situation looks bleak, Devin Booker said the players can’t afford to lose their focus in the final four games of the season.

“Same approach, man. I keep saying for the love of the game,” Booker said. “You never play with this sport. This is our lives. Whatever the situation is, whether we’re in or out, we’re going to give it our all and do what we can do.”

Attention now turns to what the Suns will do this summer after a hugely disappointing season despite a payroll that tops $400MM with luxury tax included. Rankin expects another coaching change, even though Mike Budenholzer was just hired last May.

Trade speculation involving Durant has been steady for the last two months, and Rankin believes the focus should be on getting under the second apron so they’ll have more flexibility to remake the roster. He also notes that owner Mat Ishbia’s willingness to change coaches hasn’t extended to the front office where general manager James Jones and CEO Josh Bartelstein have kept their jobs despite not producing a contender.

There’s more on the Suns:

Bradley Beal, who returned Friday after missing eight games with a strained left hamstring, said he’s feeling much better, Rankin adds in the same story. Beal was held scoreless in the first half Sunday, but he delivered 16 points after intermission. “Night and day better,” he said of the hamstring. “A lot more confident. Still, in the first, kind of felt like I was still trying to feel my way into the game, but I like where I was defensively. The effort on defense kept me in the game and I was able to find that rhythm in the second half.”
The Suns weren’t able to work out a Durant trade before the February deadline because they were asking for “a massive haul,” sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Windhorst doesn’t expect Phoenix to get that kind of return when trade talks resume this summer, noting that Durant will turn 37 in September and will be eligible for a two-year, $120MM max extension. Like Rankin, Windhorst suggests that a Durant trade might provide the Suns with cap flexibility rather than win-now players and draft capital.
Bol Bol was held out of Sunday’s game and has barely played over the last month or so. In a separate story from Rankin, Budenholzer explains his decision to bench Bol, who was used as a starter for 10 games around the All-Star break. “I think Cody (Martin) has gotten healthy, we’ve played Cody,” Budenholzer said. “Ryan (Dunn) has been playing more. Just always trying to give different guys opportunities, different mix, different combinations. So, (Bol’s) kind of fallen out of (the rotation).”

Pacific Notes: Curry, Lakers, Beal, Clippers

April 5th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors star Stephen Curry did a little bit of everything in Friday’s win over Denver, including some coaching, writes Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Holding a lead during a play stoppage late in the game, Curry motioned for coach Steve Kerr to reinsert Gui Santos to provide energy and defense. Kerr took the suggestion, and Santos helped close out a 118-104 victory.

“I was like, ‘OK, if he’s saying it, then I’m going in,’” Santos said. “When the game matters a lot, in the most important moments, Steph wants everything to be perfect. He sees everything.”

Several players expressed the same message about Curry after the game, which was the Warriors’ first regular season win over the Nuggets in more than three years. Curry’s attention to detail when it’s time for “meaningful basketball” is part of what has made him one of the greatest players in NBA history.

“There’s a completely different focus, but you see the focus everywhere,” Draymond Green said. “It’s not just once Steph steps on the court in the game. It’s in practice, it’s in his workouts. He’s on the phone talking: ‘Yo, we need to do this.’ He gets into the weeds around this time. We try to keep him out of the weeds all year, because it can be a bit exhausting. But he kind of knows when it’s time for him to get in the weeds, and that’s where he is right now. … You can see the look in his eyes from a mile away.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Coach J.J. Redick ran several actions involving LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to finish off Friday’s win over New Orleans, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The Lakers have started winning the minutes with their three stars on the court together, and Doncic believes their chemistry is improving. “Obviously, like we talk about, it’s still a work in progress,” he said. “We haven’t had many practices together, but I think we’re getting more comfortable, like you saw (on Friday). It’s getting better.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal missed all seven of his shots from the field Friday at Boston, but he felt fine physically after returning to the lineup following an eight-game absence due to a strained left hamstring, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just getting back into a rhythm, getting back into the pace of the game,” Beal said. “Just got to be a little more aggressive. It was a little bit trying to feel my way into the game.”
The Clippers are in playoff mode already as they try to climb into the top six in the West and avoid the play-in tournament, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. has won 10 of its last 12 and entered tonight in a three-way tie for the sixth spot. “Everyone is treating every game like the playoffs. Honestly, it’s fun,” Ivica Zubac said. “I think what the NBA did with that play-in, I think it’s a really good thing. It’s very competitive and it’s been good. The last few weeks have been fun. You just kind of lock in, treat it as a playoff game, a must-win, and I’m sure other teams are like that too.”

Pacific Notes: Payton, Beal, Hayes, Carter, Kings

April 3rd, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Golden State should have one of its top defensive players back in the near future. While veteran swingman Gary Payton II has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, he is making “good progress” from the partially torn ligament in his left thumb is now considered day-to-day, according to an announcement from the Warriors (Twitter link).

Initial reports on Payton’s thumb injury indicated he would be sidelined indefinitely, but the Warriors announced last Thursday that he’d be reevaluated in one week and it sounds as if that exam went well. While the defensive specialist won’t suit up on Thursday, he has yet to be ruled out for the second end of the team’s back-to-back set, so it’s possible he could return as soon as Friday vs. Denver.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bradley Beal isn’t listed on the Suns‘ injury report for Friday’s game in Boston and is on track to make his return after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain. He shares fans’ frustrations about his inconsistent availability this season and is hopeful he won’t have to miss any more games this spring, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s not ideal, obviously, it’s not fun,” Beal said. “You don’t enjoy it. You control what you can control. That’s all I can do. I always preach about being available and that’s something I’m definitely kicking myself about, but that’s sometimes how the cookie crumbles. All I can do is keep my head up and keep getting better. The staff has been great, my body is in a better place and I feel really good right now. Hopefully it continues to stay that way.”
Jaxson Hayes averaged a career-low 12.5 minutes per game in his first season with the Lakers in 2023/24, but has taken on a significantly more important role in the second year of his minimum-salary deal following the trade sending Anthony Davis to Dallas. Hayes, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is looking to make the most of the chance to start at center alongside an elite pick-and-roll play-maker like Luka Doncic. “I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring,” Hayes said on Wednesday, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself.”
The Kings got good news on Devin Carter after the rookie guard exited Saturday’s game early due to a right shoulder injury. Carter is considered day-to-day due to a shoulder contusion and is being listed as questionable to play on Friday in Charlotte (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). Carter has a history of shoulder issues, so the team can breathe a sigh of relief now that the injury appears to be relatively minor.
While the Carter update was a positive one, there hasn’t been much else to celebrate in Sacramento as of late. As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings‘ loss in Washington on Wednesday represents a new low for a team struggling to separate itself in the play-in race from a Phoenix squad that has lost four games in a row. The 36-40 Kings have a one-game lead on the Suns for the No. 10 seed in the West.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Suns’ Bradley Beal Plans To Return This Weekend

April 2nd, 2025 at 5:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran guard Bradley Beal is planning to be back in the fold for the Suns at some point during the club’s ongoing road trip, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

The Suns will face the Celtics in Boston on Friday and the Knicks in New York on Sunday before returning to Phoenix.

Beal has been on the shelf with a left hamstring strain for eight games, having last played on March 16 against the Lakers.

The 6’4″ wing has been dogged by health issues for years. He hasn’t appeared in more than 53 games since the 2020/21 season, and hasn’t been available in more than 60 since 2018/19.

This year, Beal has suited up for 48 contests so far, starting 33 of them. At most, he’ll be able to make 54 apperances for the 35-41 Suns.

In his available contests, the 31-year-old is averaging 17.3 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.4 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He’s also posting an efficient shooting line of .505/.395/.813, but his defensive issues have resulted in him being occasionally benched by first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Chemistry issues between Beal and All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have made winning a tough prospect this year in Phoenix. As of this writing, the club occupies the Western Conference’s No. 11 seed and is 1.5 games behind the No. 10-seeded Sacramento for the conference’s final play-in tournament slot.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Redick, Beal, Carter

March 31st, 2025 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Saturday’s win over the Grizzlies in Memphis represented perhaps the best overall showing to date for the Lakers‘ trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. They combined for 85 points, 25 assists, and 21 rebounds, with Reaves (31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) leading the way.

The performance came on the heels of head coach J.J. Redick gathering James, Doncic, and Reaves for a meeting on Saturday morning, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.

“We challenged all three of them when we get to their three-man actions to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity,” Redick said of that meeting, noting that it paid immediate dividends. “We played as well as we’ve played so far, offensively.”

“I think the meeting was just still trying to build that chemistry amongst the three of us to help the team be successful,” Reaves added. “(Saturday’s game) just showed that when we play the right way and trust one another, especially offensively, we can have open looks on almost every possession. … It was really just a conversation about how bad all of us want to win and win at a high level.”

James, Doncic, and Reaves have all missed multiple games this month due to new health issues and/or management of old injuries, but they’ve all been available for each of the past five contests. While the Lakers lost the first of those two games, they’ve won two of the past three, with their only loss in that stretch coming on Josh Giddey‘s half-court buzzer beater on Thursday.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Within a feature story about Redick, Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes that the first-year head coach has expressed a strong affinity for Los Angeles and hopes his job with the Lakers gives him a reason to remain there for the long term. “I’m not moving again. I’m not moving my kids again,” Redick said. “We’re in it for the long haul. I would love to be the Lakers coach for the next 15 to 20 years. If I’m not the Lakers coach, I’m in it for the long haul in L.A.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal missed a seventh consecutive game on Sunday due to a left hamstring strain. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, Beal is pushing hard in the hopes of returning to action sooner rather than later. “He wants to get back,” rookie guard Ryan Dunn said over the weekend. “He’s working his butt off.” Phoenix is 1.5 games back of a play-in spot and will be without leading scorer Kevin Durant for at least the next three games.
Kings guard Devin Carter exited Saturday’s game against Orlando early after injuring his right shoulder (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento) and had his right arm in a sling after the game, tweets Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Carter, who has a history of shoulder issues, has been ruled out for Monday’s game in Indiana due to a right shoulder contusion, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.

Suns Notes: Beal, Gillespie, Allen, Plumlee

March 26th, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is dealing with a left hamstring strain, will miss his fifth consecutive game on Wednesday vs. Boston, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter video link).

According to head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday, Beal has yet to take part in any 5-on-5 scrimmages but is doing on-court workouts and moving through the necessary steps in his recovery process: “He’s ramping up his court work. We feel like he’s making good progress. … The next few days are big. We’ll just see how he progresses each day.”

As Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic, the Suns are riding a four-game winning streak with Beal on the shelf. The team is leaning more on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker for scoring and play-making while surrounding those two stars with more defensive-minded role players.

Obviously, when he gets healthy, Beal will have a spot in the rotation, Rankin writes, but it remains to be seen what exactly that role will look like. Phoenix has been thriving with younger guards like Collin Gillespie and Ryan Dunn doing the “dirty work” next to Booker in the backcourt, so the team may ask him to slot into a similar role.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

The Suns have been playing a fun style of basketball during their current four-game winning streak and have finally looked like the team that got off to an 8-1 start in the fall, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who considers whether Phoenix has turned a corner and whether or not it has happened too late in the season to make a difference.
The Suns are aware that they’ll need to waive a player from their 15-man standard roster in order to promote Gillespie from his two-way contract in order to make him postseason-eligible, Budenholzer said on Tuesday. However, the Suns’ coach said the team hasn’t discussed that scenario yet (Twitter link via Rankin). Since Gillespie won’t reach his active game limit before the end of the regular season, Phoenix doesn’t need to make a roster decision for at least a couple more weeks.
Grayson Allen returned to action on Monday vs. Milwaukee after missing six games due to a foot strain he described as “frustrating,” per Bourguet (Twitter video link). “Took me longer than I thought (to recover),” Allen said. The veteran wing contributed three points and a pair of rebounds in 12 minutes against the Bucks.
Suns center Mason Plumlee was also available on Monday after being inactive for two games due to a left quad strain, but he didn’t see any action. Plumlee said ahead of the Bucks game that an MRI on the quad revealed a “small tear” and he was advised to sit out for seven-to-10 days to avoid making it worse (Twitter video link via Rankin).

Bradley Beal Out At Least One Week

March 18th, 2025 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Bradley Beal will miss at least one week before having his left hamstring strain reevaluated, head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters on Monday night, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Beal exited Sunday’s loss to the Lakers after playing just 15 minutes. The team initially referred to his injury as left hamstring soreness but has since changed the diagnosis to a strain.

The veteran guard subsequently sat out Monday’s blowout win over Toronto and will also miss games on Wednesday vs. Chicago and Friday vs. Cleveland before having his injury reassessed ahead of next Monday’s matchup with Milwaukee.

It has been a challenge for Beal to stay healthy this season. While he has appeared in 48 of Phoenix’s 69 regular season games to this point, the 31-year-old has also missed time over the course of the year due to calf, toe, ankle, knee, and elbow issues.

“I feel bad for Brad,” Budenholzer said on Monday. “We’ve just got to find a way to try to keep him healthy. Hopefully, get him right.”

In his 48 appearances (33 starts), Beal has averaged 17.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .505/.395/.813.

Two-way player Collin Gillespie took Beal’s place in the lineup on Monday, making the first start of his NBA career. Gillespie logged 23 minutes on Sunday and 16 on Monday, well above his season average of 8.0 MPG, and appears poised to continue playing a rotation role this week.

Load More Posts