5 Unpopular trades the Suns should explore this summer

2. Trade Bradley Beal for role players

The Suns could not resist building a Big 3 to try to chase a championship. Beal’s no-trade clause lowered the price and allowed Phoenix to get into the bidding. The Suns went virtually all-in to acquire him, and things have not gone as planned.

The three-time All-Star has played well when on the floor. He is averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 33.1 minutes per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 38.9 percent on his threes, and 79.3 percent from the free throw line. Beal is the number three option in the Valley of the Sun and has played just 46 games due to injuries.

Staying on the court is a concern moving forward. He has not played more than 60 games since 2019. If he appears in the Suns’ seven remaining games, Beal will average just 51 per season over the last four years. That is 30-plus contests without him every year.

Beal kept his no-trade clause, so sending him packing is difficult. He has three seasons at $50-plus million per year remaining on his contract, and Beal will control his destination. The Suns would be better off trading him for a few role players, but that deal is unlikely to be on the table. Their front office should still explore it this summer.