Bradley Beal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Notes: Beal, Gillespie, Allen, Plumlee

March 26th, 2025 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is dealing with a left hamstring strain, will miss his fifth consecutive game on Wednesday vs. Boston, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter video link).

According to head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spoke to reporters on Tuesday, Beal has yet to take part in any 5-on-5 scrimmages but is doing on-court workouts and moving through the necessary steps in his recovery process: “He’s ramping up his court work. We feel like he’s making good progress. … The next few days are big. We’ll just see how he progresses each day.”

As Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic, the Suns are riding a four-game winning streak with Beal on the shelf. The team is leaning more on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker for scoring and play-making while surrounding those two stars with more defensive-minded role players.

Obviously, when he gets healthy, Beal will have a spot in the rotation, Rankin writes, but it remains to be seen what exactly that role will look like. Phoenix has been thriving with younger guards like Collin Gillespie and Ryan Dunn doing the “dirty work” next to Booker in the backcourt, so the team may ask him to slot into a similar role.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

The Suns have been playing a fun style of basketball during their current four-game winning streak and have finally looked like the team that got off to an 8-1 start in the fall, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who considers whether Phoenix has turned a corner and whether or not it has happened too late in the season to make a difference.
The Suns are aware that they’ll need to waive a player from their 15-man standard roster in order to promote Gillespie from his two-way contract in order to make him postseason-eligible, Budenholzer said on Tuesday. However, the Suns’ coach said the team hasn’t discussed that scenario yet (Twitter link via Rankin). Since Gillespie won’t reach his active game limit before the end of the regular season, Phoenix doesn’t need to make a roster decision for at least a couple more weeks.
Grayson Allen returned to action on Monday vs. Milwaukee after missing six games due to a foot strain he described as “frustrating,” per Bourguet (Twitter video link). “Took me longer than I thought (to recover),” Allen said. The veteran wing contributed three points and a pair of rebounds in 12 minutes against the Bucks.
Suns center Mason Plumlee was also available on Monday after being inactive for two games due to a left quad strain, but he didn’t see any action. Plumlee said ahead of the Bucks game that an MRI on the quad revealed a “small tear” and he was advised to sit out for seven-to-10 days to avoid making it worse (Twitter video link via Rankin).

Bradley Beal Out At Least One Week

March 18th, 2025 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Bradley Beal will miss at least one week before having his left hamstring strain reevaluated, head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters on Monday night, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Beal exited Sunday’s loss to the Lakers after playing just 15 minutes. The team initially referred to his injury as left hamstring soreness but has since changed the diagnosis to a strain.

The veteran guard subsequently sat out Monday’s blowout win over Toronto and will also miss games on Wednesday vs. Chicago and Friday vs. Cleveland before having his injury reassessed ahead of next Monday’s matchup with Milwaukee.

It has been a challenge for Beal to stay healthy this season. While he has appeared in 48 of Phoenix’s 69 regular season games to this point, the 31-year-old has also missed time over the course of the year due to calf, toe, ankle, knee, and elbow issues.

“I feel bad for Brad,” Budenholzer said on Monday. “We’ve just got to find a way to try to keep him healthy. Hopefully, get him right.”

In his 48 appearances (33 starts), Beal has averaged 17.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .505/.395/.813.

Two-way player Collin Gillespie took Beal’s place in the lineup on Monday, making the first start of his NBA career. Gillespie logged 23 minutes on Sunday and 16 on Monday, well above his season average of 8.0 MPG, and appears poised to continue playing a rotation role this week.

Suns Still Hoping To Salvage Disappointing Season

March 17th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant‘s heated sideline exchange with coach Mike Budenholzer (Twitter video link) may be the only positive to come out of the Suns‘ loss to the Lakers on Sunday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. It suggests that Durant is still locked in enough to care about the team amid widespread reports that he plans to ask for a trade this summer.

Durant and his teammates are struggling to make up ground on the 10th-place Mavericks, whose season is imploding amid a constant string of injuries. Phoenix has gone just 4-6 in its last 10 games and remains a game and a half behind Dallas with less than four weeks to play.

“This group is — there’s still (14) games left. We need to get into the play-in, we need to get into the playoffs and try and do something there,” Budenholzer said. “Like, there is a lot of talent in our locker room. There is a lot of fight in our locker room. So we got to get in (the play-in), and then we got to play good basketball, win games. But we got to start winning to get there, (and) I think the guys know that. And I think the mindset and the fight, in the first quarter, wasn’t where it needs to be.”

Budenholzer dismissed the latest run-in with Durant, saying it involved defensive rotations and calling it “pretty normal stuff.” Durant didn’t talk to reporters after the game, according to Vardon, telling them he was going to shower first and then quickly slipping out of the locker room after he was done.

Vardon states that there’s no easy explanation for what has gone wrong with the Suns, who looked like one of the NBA’s best teams in October and early November with an 8-1 start. There’s plenty of firepower on the roster with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal playing alongside Durant, and the front office thought it had upgraded the coaching staff by hiring Budenholzer, who has an NBA title on his resume.

Some observers have labeled Beal a disappointment, but Vardon points out that he has been playing pretty well as a third option, averaging 17.3 PPG while shooting better than 50% from the floor and nearly 40% from three-point range. However, Beal suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday that prevented him from playing in the second half and he’s considered questionable for tonight’s game against Toronto.

Phoenix is 27th in the league in defensive rating, and Budenholzer cited the need to improve in that area several times after Sunday’s loss. Vardon also notes that the three-point shooting has been inconsistent as the Suns missed 18 of their first 20 attempts from beyond the arc against the Lakers.

“I think it’s more than one thing,” Booker said. “In spots, we’ve shown we can do it, and that’s what makes it even more frustrating. We have a game like last game (a 122-106 win over Sacramento), and then we come in and miss a few shots, which affects our defense, which, you know, affects our offense. So, it’s a domino effect. If you’re playing with energy and effort, you know, you can sleep well at night, regardless. And I don’t think we’re doing that right now.”

Mat Ishbia: Suns Won’t Trade Devin Booker

March 14th, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Major changes could be coming to the Suns this summer, but they won’t include a trade of Devin Booker, team owner Mat Ishbia told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Ishbia admits the team has fallen far short of expectations as it faces a desperate race to overtake Dallas and sneak into the play-in tournament as the 10th seed. But even if Phoenix misses out on the postseason, Ishbia plans to rebuild around the 28-year-old guard rather than consider trade offers.

“Never happen,” Ishbia said about the possibility of parting with Booker. “It’s silly. So here’s what I’ll tell you: I have Devin Booker in the prime. In order to win an NBA championship, you got to have a superstar. You got to have a great player.”

Sources tell MacMahon that the Rockets have made several calls about Booker, but have failed to gain any traction. Houston is uniquely positioned to leverage a deal, holding swap rights for the Suns’ first-round pick this year, along with the team’s unprotected first-rounders in 2027 and 2029. All those assets were originally sent to Brooklyn in the Durant trade two years ago.

Booker is likewise committed to staying in Phoenix and has no plans to request a trade, according to MacMahon. He went through four extreme losing seasons early in his career before helping turn the Suns into a winner and eventually reaching the Finals in 2021. He’s ready to repeat that process and wants to spend his entire career with one franchise. He has shared his intentions with Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartlestein and general manager James Jones, MacMahon adds.

“I take pride in the community in Phoenix, the people that have supported me since I was 18 when things were ugly,” Booker said. “And the people that are with us, we just fell short of accomplishing what we want. So I want to do it, and I want to do it here. That’s the responsibility of being a franchise player, and I wear that with honor. So it might not look the most pretty right now, but we got to get it done and I’m going to do it.”

There’s far less certainty surrounding Kevin Durant, who’s widely expected to be on the move this summer. Durant admitted being “blindsided” when his name came up in trade talks before last month’s deadline, and there’s heavy speculation that he’ll want to continue his career somewhere else next season. Durant, who will turn 37 in September, has one year left on his contract at $54.7MM.

A potential deal with the Warriors died when Durant said he didn’t want to return to the Bay Area. Sources tell MacMahon that Phoenix also discussed frameworks of Durant trades with the Timberwolves, Heat and Rockets, with some of those sources pointing to the Knicks as a possible fit. Houston officials told ESPN that the Suns called them to gauge their interest in Durant.

MacMahon’s sources said Suns management will consult with Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman on any trade discussions that take place this summer. Durant will be eligible to sign a two-year, $122MM extension with his new team.

Ishbia indicated that a Durant trade will be one of many strategies the front office plans to explore once the season ends.

“I’ll just say that we’re going to evaluate in the offseason,” Ishbia said. “We’re going to find a way to win, and it’s probably a lot easier winning with Kevin Durant than without him. But at the same time, yes, if we’re not good enough in this iteration of the Phoenix Suns, we’re going to find a way to be better next year. “

Bradley Beal, who was reluctant to waive his no-trade clause to help the Suns complete a deal for Jimmy Butler, suggested to MacMahon that he might be more open to changing teams during the offseason. Beal, who was demoted to a bench role in January and February, feels like he has been disrespected at times.

“It is a different deal in the summer,” he said. “Everything is kind of more laid out on the table. You got more options.”

Injury Notes: J. Williams, Haliburton, Porzingis, Beal

March 11th, 2025 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

A Monday loss to Denver won’t hurt the Thunder in the standings at all, given that they still hold an 11-game lead on their Northwest rivals. But a loss that occurred in the second quarter of the game may be of greater concern for the Thunder — forward Jalen Williams sustained a right hip injury and was ruled out for the second half due to a hip strain, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

According to MacMahon, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t have any additional details on Williams’ injury after the game, simply telling reporters that the 23-year-old would be evaluated on Tuesday. Once that evaluation is completed, the team should have a better idea of how much time – if any – Williams will have to miss.

The 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams quickly emerged as a full-time starter and crucial contributor for the West’s top team. In 61 games this season, he’s averaging career highs of 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton missed a third consecutive game on Monday due to a left hip flexor strain, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes. “Tyrese is not ready,” head coach Rick Carlisle said during his pregame media session. “He’s out. He’s getting closer, he’s just not there yet. Not sure where this is going to be (Tuesday for the home game against the Bucks) but today is not the day.” Indiana is now 0-4 without Haliburton available this season, so the team will be hoping his absence doesn’t last much longer.
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has now been out for six consecutive games and nearly two full weeks due to illness. He took to Twitter on Monday to explain his lengthy layoff. “I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven’t been able to fully identify yet,” Porzingis wrote. “I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full strength to help this team. Thanks for support and I’m hoping for a healthy return soon.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal was held out of the second end of a back-to-back set on Monday as the team continues to manage his calf, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal missed five games in November with a left calf strain and two more in late February with left calf tightness. The club will continue to keep an eye on that issue going forward, Rankin adds, so it’s possible the veteran will continue to miss the occasional game down the stretch.

Stein’s Latest: Mavericks, Luka, Edwards, Knicks, Kessler, Budenholzer

March 3rd, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported last week that the Mavericks reached out to the Timberwolves to inquire about a possible Luka Doncic/Anthony Edwards swap earlier this season before pivoting to the Lakers and Anthony Davis. Veteran Milwaukee-area reporter Gery Woelfel has reported that the Mavs made a similar inquiry with the Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Addressing those rumors, NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says he has consistently heard that the Mavericks only discussed Doncic by name with one team: the Lakers.

While Dallas did talk to Minnesota and Milwaukee, according to Stein, those discussions have been described to him as “very brief in nature and intentionally broad and vague,” with no conversations about Doncic specifically.

Here are a few more items of interest from Stein:

Following the expiration of Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract, the Mavericks can’t fill the 15th spot on their standard roster until April 10 due to their hard cap. Promoting two-way player Kessler Edwards, who has played a rotation role in recent weeks and can only be active for 10 more NBA games, is one option Dallas is considering for that final week of the season, league sources tell Stein. However, the team’s decision will depend in part on its health and roster needs as of April 10, Stein notes. While the Mavs have a serious frontcourt shortage right now due to injuries, that may not be the case in five-and-a-half weeks.
The Knicks were “right there” with the Lakers before the trade deadline in trying to pry third-year center Walker Kessler away from the Jazz, league sources tell Stein, who says Utah made it clear to both clubs that it didn’t want to seriously entertain pitches for Kessler during the season. The big man will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.
Although Stein can’t confirm if Mike Budenholzer‘s job in Phoenix is any actual jeopardy, he says the topic has generated “heightened whispering and curiosity” in coaching circles. The Suns parted ways with Monty Williams in 2023 when he still had three years and $20MM+ left on his contract and let go of Frank Vogel in 2024 just one year into his five-season, $31MM deal. Budenholzer reportedly received a five-year contract worth in excess of $50MM when he was hired by Phoenix last May. His Suns have a 28-33 record and are four games back of the final play-in spot in the West.
In case you missed it, Stein also reported that the Wizards gave real consideration to the idea of reacquiring Bradley Beal from the Suns prior to last month’s trade deadline. However, the teams couldn’t agree to terms and it seems unlikely that Beal would have waived his no-trade clause to return to D.C. anyway.

Wizards Mulled Reacquiring Bradley Beal Last Month

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards contemplated reacquiring Bradley Beal prior to the trade deadline, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

In their failed quest to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat, the Suns desperately tried to find a third team that would take Beal’s maximum-salary contract, since Miami was unwilling to do so. With Phoenix operating over the second apron, the only way it could pull off that trade and retain Kevin Durant and Devin Booker was to trade Beal. Butler, of course, wound up getting dealt to the Warriors.

Washington sent Beal to the Suns in the summer of 2023. The previous year, Washington signed Beal to five-year extension with a no-trade clause, which he waived in that deal.

However, Beal balked at waiving the clause before this year’s deadline, so even if the Wizards, Suns, and Heat had figured out a trade construction that sent him to Washington and Butler to Phoenix while appeasing all three teams, Beal may not have signed off.

It’s unknown exactly what type of enticements the Wizards were seeking to take on Beal’s contract. They felt one potential incentive for Beal to return to Washington was that he could have become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He racked up 15,391 points with the Wizards, 160 points behind Elvin Hayes.

Previous reporting from ESPN stated that the Wizards and Hawks were the only two teams to consider the idea of acquiring Beal at the trade deadline.

Beal, who has two years left on his contract, averaged 23.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in seven February games but the Suns went 1-6 in those contests. He returned to action on Sunday after missing two games with tightness in his left calf.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Valanciunas, Suns, Powell, Lakers

March 1st, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings picked up an important win in Houston Saturday night even though they lost starting center Domantas Sabonis early in the game, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After a little more than a minute of play, Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running down the court. Head coach Doug Christie immediately called time out, and Sabonis headed to the locker room to get it checked. The Kings announced that he wouldn’t return, and Christie is unsure how long he might be sidelined.

“We’ll see in the coming days,” Christie told reporters. “Probably tomorrow or the next day we’ll have an idea, but everyone’s just pulling for him. Stepping in and, wow, we’re talking about Domantas Sabonis, who covers the stat sheet in a way that is difficult to do. A lot of guys stepped in and weren’t trying to do too much. They were just trying to do what they do and that adds up to everyone pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Sacramento was able to overcome Sabonis’ injury because of a strong night from backup center Jonas Valanciunas, who was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. Playing nearly 30 minutes off the bench, Valanciunas contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and three blocks as the Kings leap-frogged two teams to move into eighth in the Western Conference standings.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Bradley Beal remains questionable for Sunday’s contest against Minnesota after missing the Suns‘ last two games with tightness in his left calf, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Grayson Allen, who sat out Friday’s game due to left foot soreness, is probable to return. After snapping a three-game losing streak Friday night, Kevin Durant said the Suns need to block out distractions and concentrate on playing basketball. “It’s so much noise that’s going to be around us,” Durant said. “It’s so much tension around whether we’re going to win or lose the next game. So many people wishing that we don’t win games. It’s just a lot of BS around us, but I think if we understand that’s just the nature of the beast and we go out there and play with more pride and more energy, more enthusiasm, I think that things can turn around, but you really actually got to feel that.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue expressed hope that leading scorer Norman Powell can return soon after missing the last five games with soreness in his left knee, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Lue added that Powell tried to play through the pain before the All-Star break, but he eventually had to make a change in the medical treatment he was receiving on the knee. “But like I said, he’s getting close, and he’s been doing the things needed to try to get back on the floor and so hopefully sooner than later,” Lue said.
The Lakers are getting valuable contributions from their two-way players, observes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemison both played a role in Friday’s win over the Clippers. “Those guys are just professional,” coach J.J. Redick said. “And a lot of times with two-ways, you can err on the side of youth and development, and I think there’s a lot of merit and a lot of value in that. Trey and Goodie are older players by two-way standards. And so, to be able to have them both with experience and both having been in the league now for a couple of years – Goodie longer than that – but they know how to play and they can contribute to winning.”

Suns Reinsert Beal Into Starting Five, Move Jones To Bench

February 22nd, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The slumping Suns are making a lineup change for Saturday’s game in Chicago, having announced that Bradley Beal will be reinserted into the starting five, with Tyus Jones moving to the bench (Twitter link).

Beal, who has been coming off the bench since January 4, will start alongside Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Royce O’Neale, and Nick Richards. It will be the first time this season that Jones will be part of the second unit — he had been previously been available for 54 games and started all of them.

The Suns, who have lost seven of eight games and are just 26-29 on the season, have been searching for the right lineup combinations for much of the year. The team’s most-used five-man group, which featured Jones, Booker, Beal, and Durant alongside recently traded center Jusuf Nurkic, had a net rating of -17.1 in 119 minutes.

A handful of other starting lineups featuring Jones have also struggled to outscore opponents. Jones, Booker, Durant, Richards, and Ryan Dunn have a -4.4 net rating together, while the starting five that the Suns deployed on Thursday coming out of the All-Star break (Jones, Booker, Durant, O’Neale, and Richards) has posted a -23.7 net rating in a small sample size (31 minutes). Saturday’s starting lineup has played just eight minutes together.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter video link) predicted on Friday that Jones’ time as a starter would soon come to an end, referring to it as “long overdue.” As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link) points out, Booker has been functioning more like the point guard in the first unit, with Jones spending more time off the ball.

Still, speaking today to reporters shortly before the club announced its new starting five, head coach Mike Budenholzer defended Jones and his importance to the team.

“He organizes us. He brings leadership, stability,” Budenholzer said, per Rankin. “He’s a point guard. He’s that guy that’s looking to get everybody involved. Has a comfort level with that spot. He’s been good.”

Suns Notes: Jones, Durant, Beal, Locker Room

February 8th, 2025 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Addressing the media prior to Friday’s game, general manager James Jones didn’t seem worried that Kevin Durant will react negatively to finding out that the Suns considered trade offers for him before Thursday’s deadline, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Jones doesn’t believe Durant will let the trade speculation become a distraction as the team fights to secure a playoff spot.

“Kevin has been around the noise his entire career,” Jones said. “He’s a pro. He’s the best at it. It gets noisy when you’re not winning. The simple fact is we haven’t won enough and if we’re not winning enough, the storylines pop up, but we’re talking about basketball and he’s always shown and will continue to show, and I think this team will continue to show, that despite the things outside of our walls, we’ll focus on the task at hand and focus on ball.”

Durant sat out Friday’s game with a sprained left ankle and didn’t talk to the media, as the NBA’s policy doesn’t require injured players to do interviews. Jones refused to comment on a rumored deal with Golden State that was reportedly nixed when Durant said he didn’t want to return to the Warriors. Jones was also asked if he needs to smooth things over with his star player after trade talks collapsed.

“It’s ongoing dialogue with the team, but when you get to the trade deadline, every team has these moments of frustration, these moments of uncertainty,” Jones responded. “You talk about that early in the season, going into the preseason. You talk about that going into the trade deadline. You talk about it going into the playoffs. It’s an ongoing conversation. It’s not just something that you respond to at these type of pivotal moments. It’s a daily conversation about how you continue to stay focused on the task at hand, which is playing basketball at a high level and winning basketball games.”

Rankin points out that Durant passed on a chance to sign a one-year, $59.5MM extension before the start of the season, which makes him eligible for a two-year, $123.8MM extension this summer. There’s now less certainty that he’ll accept that extension if he’s unhappy about having been on the trade market.

There’s more from Phoenix:

Bradley Beal is ready to move forward with the season now that the deadline has passed, Rankin adds in a separate story. Some fans are angry at Beal because he wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause to help the team land Jimmy Butler, but Royce O’Neale doesn’t believe they should be. “What are they going to be mad for?” O’Neale said. “We love Brad. He’s sacrificed a lot for this team, whether he’s starting, coming off the bench. His mentality, his character hasn’t changed. He does whatever it takes for us to win. Credit to him everything that he’s been through, everything that his family has heard.”
Suns players are disputing a claim by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that their locker room is “toxic” due to the Durant situation. “The locker room has been good all year long. It hasn’t changed at all either, so I don’t know where that came from,” said Grayson Allen (Twitter video link from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). O’Neale echoed the same sentiment, saying, “I feel like they be making up some stuff sometimes. I seen that, I was like, I don’t know what they talkin’ ‘bout.” (Twitter video link)
Coach Mike Budenholzer provided updates on Durant, Beal and Allen, who all missed tonight’s game due to injuries (Twitter video link from Bourguet). Budenholzer said Durant’s ankle issue is “probably very short-term” and expressed hope that the two days off will help him heal. Beal has toe soreness in his left foot, and Allen is experiencing pain in his right knee. Budenholzer considers them both to be day to day.