Suns Have One of Worst Contracts in NBA

A 36-46 record, coaching change, and potential front office shakeup since the season began in October has paved the way for the Phoenix Suns to change the way business is operated moving forward.

Owner Mat Ishbia went 'all-in' after purchasing the team in February 2023 - as he authorized trades for two high-priced stars and invested countless amounts of money into every aspect of the organization.

While certain aspects of the approach did work out, some simply did not pan out - including the acquisition of one of the high-priced stars that was the feature of work from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report - he examined the best (and worst) contracts of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Unsurprisingly, a Suns player made the cut - as Bradley Beal came in as the third worst contract in the entire league.

"Compare Beal's production with Austin Reaves on the Los Angeles Lakers. Both are No. 3 options, but Beal is almost four times as expensive as Reaves, and his team didn't make the playoffs this year despite boasting the NBA's highest payroll," Pincus wrote.

Beal being outproduced by Reaves puts everything into perspective - the Lakers' third option is bringing more to the table to the third seed in the West playoffs at a fraction of the cost of the former scoring champ.

Pincus continued with, "It only gets worse for Phoenix from here. Beal will turn 32 before next season and will be even more expensive at $53.7 million. That's followed by a $57.1 million player option in 2026-27 that he's a virtual lock to pick up."

Beal's advancing age has become apparent over the last two seasons - as he no longer has quite the same first step he once did.

Lastly, the unique quirk in Beal's deal that puts the cherry on top:

"Price aside, Beal's no-trade clause—something only he and LeBron James can boast in all of the NBA—makes it far more difficult for Phoenix to relocate him. Beal can nix any deal that might help the team at his discretion," said Pincus.

While the Suns will almost surely explore a trade this summer, a deal actually being reached seems much easier said than done.

Suns insider John Gambadoro previously stated that there is a 'zero percent' chance that Beal is back with the franchise in 2025-26 - a contract buyout could be in the works despite the complicated nature of working through one.