There was a world wherein Bradley Beal would have remained in Phoenix. But the final Kevin Durant trade forced the Suns‘ hand.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Suns “had in-depth discussions” with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Durant trade before they accepted the Houston Rockets‘ offer.
The return package would have included four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, guard Donte DiVincenzo, promising forward Terrence Shannon Jr. and the 17th pick in this year’s draft, Windhorst reported, citing league sources.
“Had that deal come to fruition, there was a place for Beal in the lineup, and the Suns might’ve made it a priority to keep him,” Windhorst wrote. “But Durant had made it known that the Wolves were not on his short list of preferred teams. And with just one season left on his contract, Durant had leverage. The talks faded.”
The Suns went on to accept the Houston Rockets‘ offer of No. 2 pick Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, this year’s No. 10 pick (Khaman Mulach) and five second-round picks, which signaled rebuilding.
Bradley Beal Agrees to a Buyout
Gobert and DiVincenzo would have complemented Beal and Devin Booker to make a playoff run next season. But Durant had other plans.
Getty Kevin Durant rejected the Minnesota Timberwolves’ rich offer to pair him with Anthony Edwards.
So Beal agreed to give up $13.8 million in a contract buyout with the Suns on July 16 and signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports.
Thus, Beal’s tumultuous two-year run in Phoenix ended with the Suns getting out of the luxury tax but will have to incur $20 million of dead money in each of the next five seasons for the salary they owe to the former All-Star guard.
Suns Eye Jonathan Kuminga
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Suns have registered their interest in Golden State Warriors‘ 22-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent.
“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,” Fischer wrote on “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter on July 17.
The Suns have reached out to both Kuminga’s representation and the Warriors “to make their fondness for the bouncy swingman known,” according to Fischer.
However, no deal is imminent as the Suns face major challenges in a potential sign-and-trade for the Warriors’ former No. 7 pick.
“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,” Fischer wrote.
They have two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, but they are not their own unprotected, which is why they hold little value around the league.
The 2027 first-rounder will be the least favorable from the group consisting of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz. On the other hand, the 2029 first-round pick from the same group of teams (Cleveland, Minnesota, and Utah).
Those assets were part of the return package that the Suns acquired from the Jazz in trading their 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
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