On Wednesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal agreed to a contract buyout. Charania added that Beal agreed to give back $13.9 million of the $110.8 million that was remaining on his contract, meaning the Suns will "likely" waive-and-stretch his remaining salary across five years.
The Beal era was a disaster from start to finish, mainly because of the overpaid supermax extension the Wizards signed him to. He waived his no-trade clause to go to the Suns in 2023, a deal that Phoenix wishes it could undo. Beal's production didn't match his salary.
Beal is no longer on the Suns' roster, but he will still be on the payroll if the Suns waive-and-stretch his contract. He's on track to earn $19.4 million through the 2029-30 season from Phoenix, while employed by other teams, starting with the Clippers, as he's set to sign a two-year deal to join LA.
Bradley Beal and Suns agree to buyout, paves way to sign with Clippers
The Suns will receive short-term financial relief by waiving and stretching Beal's contract, which will put them below the first and second tax aprons. It will give them more flexibility to retool the roster, but the move won't be enough to propel Phoenix to the contender status it has been trying to return to.
This now gives the Suns increased team-building flexibility by taking them out of the first and second aprons, providing access to more tradeable draft picks in the future, and opening up part of the mid-level exception to utilize. https://t.co/UN1dVwbHfM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2025
It was a desperate move by Phoenix, one that might've been inspired by what Milwaukee did with Damian Lillard. The difference between the Suns and Bucks is that Milwaukee cleared space to sign Myles Turner. Phoenix didn't make the move to sign a player of Turner's caliber. The reason they did it is to save money now.
Phoenix will pay a long-term price for its decision to trade Beal in 2023 and buy him out two years later. Waiving and stretching his contract means he'll be on the Suns' books through the 2029-30 season, when his contract was initially set to expire after the 2026-27 season.
The front office didn't want to wait another two seasons, allowing Beal to speak with teams interested in his services after he agreed to a buyout. Charania reported that Beal became "extremely excited" about parting ways with Phoenix after he spoke to several teams.
Beal's time with the Suns is over, allowing him to hit the reset button with the Clippers when he clears waivers. He'll be allowed to escape Phoenix, but unfortunately, Phoenix won't be able to escape him.