Report: Suns Expressing Interest in Young Free Agent Forward

The Phoenix Suns are reportedly already pursuing a big-name free agent after opening up more financial flexibility by waiving Bradley Beal Wednesday.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer in The Stein Line substack, Phoenix is expressing interest in Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is a restricted free agent and would likely command a sign-and-trade.

Fischer wrote Thursday:

"Sources say Phoenix, meanwhile, is the latest team to express exploratory interest in a Kuminga sign-and-trade ... challenging as it would be for the Suns to make such a deal happen.

"Fresh off completing a buyout of Bradley Beal this week, enabling the Suns to waive-and-stretch the hefty contract possessed by the three-time NBA All-Star guard, they have contacted both Kuminga's representation and the Warriors to make their fondness for the bouncy swingman known.

"The Suns, to be clear, do not appear to possess the sort of draft capital or players that Golden State is believed to be seeking in exchange for Kuminga. Yet he certainly did come up in trade talks between the teams during the season, sources say, when the Warriors were pursuing the re-acquisition of Kevin Durant. Rather than reunite Durant and Stephen Curry before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Golden State ultimately acquired Jimmy Butler instead."

According to multiple reports, the Suns are likely to waive and stretch Beal's remaining salary over the next five years, which would come out to $19.4 million per season, but have until Aug. 31 to make this decision.

If they do decide to take this route, they will get under both the first and second aprons, which have limited them significantly the past couple seasons.

Before, Phoenix would not have been able to aggregate salaries in a trade or acquire a player in a sign-and-trade, but now it can do both of those things.