LAS VEGAS — Bradley Beal is on the outs, but the Phoenix Suns may have already found an ideal replacement to develop in Koby Brea. Brea is not the same type of player as Beal, and he’s obviously not close to the same level, but as Phoenix looks to rebuild around Booker, they should want to add guys like Brea instead of guys like Beal.
In his first two Summer League games, Brea had no trouble showing off his three-point shot. He followed up a 4-of-5 three-point performance in his first game with a 4-of-6 first-half showing against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon, none of which were three-point attempts. Above all else, Brea’s comfort in seeking out his own shots off the ball stood out.
And as the Suns look to retool their roster around Booker moving forward, that’s exactly what they need.
How can Koby Brea help the Suns?
The Suns selected Brea with the No. 41 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he has since signed a two-way deal with the team. Considering the nature of his contract, the likelihood of him carving out a rotational role in the immediate future seems low.
That said, with how he played in the first two Suns Summer League games, he could be fighting to get his contract upgraded sooner rather than later.
Brea’s off-ball movement would have been a welcome inclusion to last year’s Suns squad, as they struggled to generate consistent offense around Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.
Phoenix’s Big 3 from the past couple of years was redundant. All three players are unbelievably talented in their own right, but rolling out three iso-heavy scorers in the same lineup eliminates the ability to include other necessary skill sets.
Adding Brea’s three-point shot into the mix, and his ability to create space for himself off the ball, is precisely what the Suns should be looking for.
What do the Suns need?
This summer has been the Suns’ chance to completely revamp their roster. They signed Booker to a massive new contract extension—the largest in league history in terms of average annual value—and will now try to restructure around him.
Jalen Green will give them a nice scoring punch (and intriguing young prospect), Dillon Brooks’ defense will be crucial, and Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, and Nick Richards should hold down the center position.
That just leaves the need for three-point shooting, the exact skill Brea does better than almost anyone else.
Finding a player who shoots the ball as well as Brea does is a rarity. 43.4% from distance across five college seasons, including 43.5% on 5.9 attempts in his final season with Kentucky.
If his defense can hold up, he should be a perfect fit next to Booker in Phoenix. And while he’s nowhere near the player Beal is yet, he’s a much better fit for what the Suns should want to do.