NBA Trade Rumors: Suns eye Bradley Beal exit as $251M guard's no-trade clause becomes cap space nightmare for roster upgrades

Heading into the offseason, it was no secret that Bradley Beal's contract was causing problems in Phoenix. Prior to the trade deadline, the team was looking to acquire Jimmy Butler, however, Beal's contract and no-trade clause proved to be a major hurdle in finalizing the deal.

On Thursday morning, Underdog NBA quoted Gambadoro as saying that the Suns "100% don't want" Beal to return. The post was then picked up by NBA Central, which relayed the news to their 1.9M followers.

Gambadoro added:

"They do not want him back, but he is untradable, and if he does not agree to a buyout, they may be stuck with him. ... One of the questions they asked candidates during the coaching cycle was, 'What would you do with Beal?' They 100% don’t want him and are looking at how to get out."

Beal is in the third year of his five-year, $251 million contract, including a no-trade clause and a player option for the 2026-27 season.

With a Kevin Durant trade seemingly inevitable and the team reportedly set on parting ways with Beal, this offseason is expected to be a big one in Phoenix.

Phoenix Suns' options for next season when it comes to Bradley Beal

Over the past few months, there has been plenty of talk among fans regarding the team and owner Mat Ishbia buying Brandon Beal out.

As John Gambadoro explained on Thursday, if a trade doesn't materialize, in order to buy Beal out of his contract, the three-time All-Star would have to accept a buyout at a reduced amount.

The pitch from Phoenix, of course, would be that Beal would be able to recoup the difference by signing a new contract with another team after the buyout, however, there's no telling whether the veteran guard would accept a reduced buyout.

Given that, the team's first option is to trade Beal; however, as they saw at the trade deadline, actually finding a suitable deal is another challenge entirely.

In addition to the fact that Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause, the $53.6 million he's owed next season and the $57.1 million he can opt into the following year, both limit the number of teams that can absorb his contract.

Given that, there's no telling whether the team will be able to part ways with Beal before the start of next season.