Bradley Beal Buyout Gives Suns Path Out Of Tax Crunch, Tightens Clippers’ Margin

The Phoenix Suns couldn’t trade Bradley Beal, so they did the next best thing. And from a salary cap standpoint, it may have been the smartest move they could make.

Beal’s buyout became official on Wednesday, one day after Phoenix paid out an advance portion of his 2025-26 salary. As expected, Beal gave back $13.88 million in the agreement, and the Suns are now expected to stretch the remaining $96.9 million over the next several years.

That will slash Beal’s cap hit next season from over $53 million to roughly $19 million and move the Suns out of second-apron territory — and, potentially, below the luxury tax line altogether.

According to cap experts Bobby Marks and Yossi Gozlan, Phoenix could save up to $176 million in tax penalties. The move also unlocks a wave of roster-building tools the Suns haven’t had access to this offseason, including the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, more trade flexibility, and the ability to sign and aggregate contracts more freely.

Phoenix, which had been handcuffed by Beal’s contract and no-trade clause, now gets a much-needed financial reset while opening a roster spot. That slot is expected to go to a point guard or combo guard, with Devin Booker, Jalen Green and others now locked in as the core.

Beal, 32, now joins the Clippers, a move that came together quickly once buyout talks picked up steam earlier this month. He no longer holds a no-trade clause and will make back less than what he gave up in the deal, but the opportunity to reset his career in Los Angeles appealed to him.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Beal became increasingly enthusiastic about exploring the market after meeting with several interested teams, a process his camp initiated with the Suns’ approval.

From the Clippers’ perspective, the move adds another dynamic scorer alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But it comes at a cost. The deal pushes L.A. to within $3.5 million of the first-apron hard cap, meaning the team can’t carry a full 15-man roster unless it sheds salary.

For now, the Clippers are at 13 players under contract and may be forced to open the season one man short.

Beal’s production in Phoenix dipped slightly from his All-Star years in Washington, but he remained efficient when healthy. In 106 games (91 starts) across two seasons with the Suns, he averaged 17.6 points, 4.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The numbers may not scream superstar anymore, but both sides appear to have won here. The Suns get relief and flexibility. The Clippers get a proven scorer, now with something to prove.