The Golden State Warriors may still have plenty to play for ahead of a huge, season-defining matchup against the L.A. Clippers on Sunday, but for others there's already an eye to the offseason with playoff hopes dead and buried.
One of those teams is the Phoenix Suns whose disastrous season may only be matched by that of the Philadelphia 76ers out East. Despite holding the league's highest payroll with a trio of players making in excess of $49 million each, the Suns have collapsed to a 36-45 record and will finish 11th in the Western Conference.
Bradley Beal could be a target for the Warriors in the offseason
Change is inevitable in Phoenix and starts with their two highest paid players. Just months after he rejected a move back to the Warriors, Kevin Durant is highly likely to be traded as the Suns look to recoup what is an otherwise bare chest of assets.
Durant's decision not to rejoin Golden State stemmed simply from not wanting to move mid-season, meaning a reunion is still possible though unlikely given the number of suitors that are set to be interested in the 2x Finals MVP.
In fact, it might be Phoenix's other $50+ million player that could be more so on the Warrior radar. Speculation is now surrounding Bradley Beals' future and the potential of the Suns parting ways with the 3x All-Star via a buyout, such has been the disappointment in his performances since the huge trade in 2023.
If Beal does reach a buyout with Phoenix and enters the market as an unrestricted free agent, Golden State could be one of the teams at the front of the queue for the 31-year-old according to Suns insider John Gambadoro.
“I spoke with somebody in the NBA last night and I was like, okay, let's talk about where he's going to go. He said Miami, Denver, Golden State, possibly San Antonio," Gambadoro said on his radio show on Friday.
Beal went viral for the wrong reasons on Tuesday against the Warriors, with a bizarre reaction after a Stephen Curry 3-pointer in what resulted as a blowout 133-95 loss for the Suns. That only generated more frustration among Suns fans, with Gambadoro stating earlier in the week that "there's a zero percent chance that Bradley Beal is back on this Suns team next year."
Despite his issues in Phoenix, Beal on a much lesser contract would be an excellent third guard off the bench behind Curry and Brandin Podziemski. The former Wizard has still averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, having shot 49.7% from the floor and 38.6% from 3-point range.
Whether the Warriors could actually offer Beal a competitive deal remains to be seen, with Jimmy Butler's contract extension and Jonathan Kuminga's free agency decision potentially pushing the franchise deep into the tax.