Next Destination for Suns' Bradley Beal Revealed

As a buyout between the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal gets closer to reality, there's a handful of teams that appear to be in play for the former All-Star guard.

According to The Athletic, Beal's next destination is likely to be a division rival in the Los Angeles Clippers.

"As long as Bradley Beal secures a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns, the LA Clippers are likely the leaders to sign the guard, league sources tell The Athletic.

"Contending Western Conference teams have expressed interest in the 32-year-old, who averaged 17.3 points per game last season in Phoenix but came to represent the Suns’ inflexibility as they failed to build a contender around him, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant."

The Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks are also teams to monitor for Beal's next chapter.

The experiment never truly got off the ground for Phoenix utilizing Beal as a third piece next to Durant and Booker thanks to injuries, though Beal was ultimately benched during the 2024-25 season by head coach Mike Budenholzer, who has since been relieved of his duties.

After trading Durant, Beal is the biggest roadblock standing in the way of Phoenix completely overhauling their roster around Booker.

More from The Athletic:

"As of Tuesday, Beal and the Suns were still discussing the possibility of a contract buyout. Both sides remain optimistic it will get done, league sources tell The Athletic. He has two years and $110.8 million remaining on his deal. If the Suns waive Beal, they could stretch his salary over five seasons, leaving approximately $19.4 million in dead money on their books through 2029-30.

"Because of a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement, Beal must give back at least $13.8 million in a buyout for the Suns to stretch his salary.

"Beal understands that because the money has dried up on the free-agent market, he is unlikely to make back the $13.8 million he would be giving up right away. His ideal move could be to sign a two-year contract with a player option on the second season, allowing him to re-enter the market in 2026 to sign for a larger number."