The Suns Are Paying Bradley Beal $96 Million To Go Away

Most people reading this article probably have a job. Maybe your company loves you. Maybe they're thinking of promoting you! Or maybe… not. Maybe your TPS reports haven't been submitted on time, and the company is thinking about letting you go.

Now imagine your company wants you gone so badly, they pay you $100 million just to stop showing up. And if you feel like taking another job in the meantime? Be their guest.

This totally unbelievable, too-good-to-be-true scenario is exactly what the Phoenix Suns are doing with Bradley Beal.

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Sometimes, an NBA team takes a swing on building a roster with star players. It often incurs enormous costs, but the financial expenses are worth it if the players win a championship. The Boston Celtics showed a nice blueprint for this in acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007 before winning the NBA Finals the following season. When the Miami Heat paired LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with Chris Bosh, it led to four straight NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

The Phoenix Suns tried to pull off a similar move in 2023. They acquired Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to team up with Devin Booker, looking to get over the hump and win the first title in franchise history.

To new owner Mat Ishbia and those within the Suns organization, the move made sense. Phoenix had reached the NBA Finals in 2021, and while it had lost a few supporting pieces, Booker had continued improving. Surrounding him with two All-Stars could theoretically work out. Durant spent about two-and-a-half seasons in Phoenix; Beal joined after that first summer, so the Suns Big 3 played together for two seasons. Despite spending more than $450 million in combined contracts across two seasons for Durant, Beal, and Booker, the Suns failed to win a single playoff game with the trio. They were swept out of the first round in 2024, then didn't even qualify in 2025.

Remember those enormous costs we mentioned earlier? They're coming into play now.

The Suns have already traded Durant to the Houston Rockets. Phoenix at least got something out of that deal, receiving Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and five second-round picks.

Now, they're buying out the remainder of Beal's contract, and it sure is pricey.

Beal originally signed a five-year, $251 million supermax deal with the Washington Wizards in 2022—one of the most bloated contracts in the league at the time. The Suns inherited the final $150 million of that deal when they traded for him in 2023, along with a rare full no-trade clause that severely limited their flexibility.

Bradley Beal's $96 Million Exit Package

Beal had two years, $110 million remaining on his deal. He also had a no-trade clause, so the Suns couldn't send him anywhere unless he approved it. Both sides agreed that he could talk to other teams to find the right basketball fit, and Beal made the decision to head to the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal.

If we looked at the salaries of these two contracts alone, it's an enormous pay cut. Beal is moving from $55 million to $5 million for this upcoming season. Luckily for him, NBA contracts are guaranteed, even after he leaves his former team. He did agree to return $13.9 million of his salary as part of the buyout, but the Suns will still pay him a whopping $96.1 million, even though he's no longer on their roster.

Beal's deal also includes a player option for the second year. The Clippers appear to be a better basketball fit for him than the Suns were, so if he can play well, he could potentially sign a long-term deal somewhere next summer.

Meanwhile, the Suns plan to use the waive-and-stretch provision on Beal, meaning they'll pay out the $96.1 million over five years. It won't be nearly as bad a hit on their salary cap, though Beal will still be making money from the Suns on his next contract, and possibly even the one after that.

The Suns took their big swing. Now they're paying $96 million to watch Bradley Beal play for someone else—and maybe still paying him when he retires.