The Golden State Warriors are reportedly among the teams interested in Bradley Beal if the Phoenix Suns come to a buyout with the highly priced guard.
Beal, whose massive contract and no-trade clause have become obstacles for the Suns as they attempt to retool their roster, has said he is comfortable staying in Phoenix for a while. However, reporting seems to indicate that Beal will not be on the team by next season.
According to Suns insider John Gambadoro, Phoenix is heading toward buying out Beal’s contract this offseason, and once that is done, Golden State could be where Beal lands afterward.
“The Heat, Nuggets, Spurs and Warriors are teams who could show interest in Bradley Beal, when the Suns buyout his max contract, per [Gambadoro],” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
If Beal signed with the Warriors, it would unite him with not only Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but also Jimmy Butler, for whom the Suns tried to trade Beal during the season. Beal’s no-trade clause, which allows him to effectively veto any trade he is involved in, made the deal a no-go, though. The Suns being unable to trade for Butler as a result of the NTC opened the proverbial door for the Warriors to acquire Butler, who had made it clear he wanted to be traded by the Miami Heat.
Since Butler’s arrival, the Warriors have flourished. Once on a downward trajectory, Golden State has found its groove with Butler, who has helped the team win 23 of the 29 games in which he has appeared. The boost has kept the Warriors afloat in a heated Western Conference playoff race.
Currently, Golden State is tied for sixth in the West with the Minnesota Timberwolves. By beating the Los Angeles Clippers in their final game of the season, the Warriors would lock up the sixth seed and avoid the Play-In. A loss, however, could drop the Warriors into the seventh seed and thus the Play-In, provided the Minnesota Timberwolves also win. The Warriors get into the playoffs regardless of their game vs. the Clippers if the Timberwolves lose to the lowly Utah Jazz.
