The Milwaukee Bucks could replace Damian Lillard in their backcourt with another All-Star guard.
Fred Katz of The Athletic reported on July 7 that the Bucks have landed on Bradley Beal‘s short list of preferred landing spots after the expected buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
“According to a league source, the list of teams Beal has thought about includes the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks,” Katz wrote.
The Suns and Beal are in serious discussions about buying out the remaining $110.8 million over the next two years on the three-time All-Star’s contract.
There is an increasing optimism that the two sides will agree to terms on a buyout, according to Katz, citing league sources. Katz added that Beal has to give back at least $13.8 million to allow the Suns to waive and stretch him.
Beal, 32, will be a bargain for a team that will sign him as an unrestricted free agent. The veteran guard still averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 50/39/80 shooting splits last season for the Suns despite his clunky fit next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Bucks Have Little to Offer
Getty Former Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns hug after a game.
Usually, the money that a player surrenders in a buyout is what he will get from his next team. The Bucks couldn’t compete with what the other teams on Beal’s preferred list could offer. They only have the veteran minimum after exhausting all their exceptions.
The Lakers could offer their $5.1 million bi-annual exception to add Beal to what could be a star-studded Lakers backcourt that already have Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Lakers’ crosstown rivals Clippers can offer more. On top of a $5.3 million starting salary (the remaining money from their $14.1 million midlevel exception after signing Brook Lopez, per Katz) in 2025-26, they can also offer him starting role after they shipped Norman Powell to the Miami Heat in a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz earlier.
The Warriors could have the most to offer Beal and can even cover what he stands to lose in a buyout, granted they sign-and-trade Jonathan Kuminga in a salary dump move to gain access to the $14.1 million MLE, according to Katz. Beal can start next to Stephen Curry in the Warriors’ backcourt with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green flanking them in what could be a fantastic four in the loaded Western Conference.
Bradley Beal Wanted To Go to Milwaukee
Yet the Bucks have been on Beal’s radar even before the Washington Wizards traded him to the Suns in 2023.
“Phoenix wasn’t even in the picture. I am waiting on Miami and Milwaukee, those were kind of like my two,” Beal said on “Run Your Race” podcast in October 2024. “Miami didn’t want to do it for whatever reason, I didn’t know why. Milwaukee I was like on the fence, they were trading [Khris] Middleton who had a player option. He has to opt in to get traded, I don’t think many people are going to opt into getting traded to D.C. at that time. At the time, we weren’t good and weren’t winning.”
Middleton ultimately ended up in Washington last trade deadline in February for Kyle Kuzma.
On the other hand, Beal’s two-year stint in Phoenix was miserable with no playoff win to show which leads to this looming buyout.
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