The best landing spots for Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns reached a dead end.

Triple NBA He was an All-Star recently moved to the bench and is included in various trade rumors. Trading Beal, who is averaging 17.8 points per game — his lowest mark since the 2015-16 NBA season — has its own complexities for the Suns, as he is 31 years old, in the third season of a five-year, $251 million deal, has no-trade clause and has not played 60 games since the 2020-21 season.

On the other hand, Beal continues to be efficient, shooting nearly 49% from the field and nearly 40% from distance this season.

However, if Beal waives his no-trade clause, here are three potential trades for Beal.

3. Orlando Magic

Orlando wins Paolo Banchero back and waiting Franz Wagner to come back from his hair injury. When both return to the floor, Banchero, Wagner and Beal would be a potentially dynamic scoring trio.

Orlando has plenty of youngsters who might be able to boost blockbuster sales. What the Magic could use is a veteran to complement their core, namely Banchero and Wagner. Beal would likely serve as Orlando’s tertiary source on offense, providing a proven and well-rounded scorer for an offense that ranks last in the NBA in scoring (105.2 ppg as of Jan. 8).

Magic could about Jonathan Isaac and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a trade with the Suns for the Bills and a future second-round draft pick. Phoenix gets two players for the current rotation, while Orlando upgrades its offense. Orlando could land Beal and still have the ammunition to make another big move. Granted, that move would likely have to be acquiring a player on an entry-level contract or one on a team-friendly contract.

At the same time, the Magic might prefer to allow it Jalen Suggs — who is averaging a career-high 16.4 points per game — get healthy (back), continue to improve and make a move for a younger star in the offseason.

2. Miami Heat

Jimmy Butlerwho wants to be Vručina tradedreportedly has interest in joining the Suns.

With Miami, Beal could plug into his starting five right away, trying to fill the void Butler’s departure would create. While it’s fair to argue that someone would take Butler over Beal, the latter would be the best player the Heat could realistically acquire in a Butler trade.

Beal and Tyler Herro would serve as a lethal scoring duo for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo potentially taking the reins as the new center. Furthermore, Beal fits into a retooling effort, as opposed to a rebuild, which is what Miami probably prefers to do if it does indeed move Butler.

One scenario could see Miami send Butler and Alec Burks to Phoenix for Bill and a series of second-rounders. The worst-case scenario for the Suns is that Butler declines his $52.4 million player option for next season, and Phoenix gets that money from the payroll.

Suns-Heat trade problem? Finding a financially sound proposition that will provide Miami with something of value beyond Beal without sending several players to Phoenix and making a trade that ends up doing little for either side. Additionally, the Suns have minimal draft capital to offer given their trade for Durant in 2023, in which they exchanged four first-round picks, among many other assets.

So which team makes the most sense for Beal?

1. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are on the rise, and Bill could be the player to take them to the next level.

Victor Vembanyama is a star; Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are respectable perimeter shooters; newcomer Stephen Castle had its moments; Julian Champagne comes into its own. These are all great developments/individual situations for the Spurs, but another high-level scoring option is needed if this team is to make the leap from a tournament-playing team (as of January 8th, the Spurs are 18-18 this season, good for the ninth seed in the Western Conference) for a contender in the next two years.

Beal would become San Antonio’s second leading scorer as well as the most proven scorer upon arrival. With Wembanyama stretching the floor and working a little bit, and most of the Spurs’ perimeter players taking 3-pointers, Beal can play to his strengths, which is to play aggressively and attack the post.

Beal was traded to a team where at best he could be the third fiddle to Durant and Devin Booker. With San Antonio, Beal would be a veteran addition to a promising core and a superstar in the making. The move could get Beal’s career back on track and get him back to playing more like himself Washington Wizards version of Beal that dominated.

San Antonio could send Harrison Barnes, Zach Collins and The Three Joneses to Phoenix for Bill and a second-rounder. The Suns are getting three rotation-caliber players, and the Spurs are moving on from a trio of players whose days in San Antonio will likely last only that much longer without trading a first-rounder.

Beal’s contract is tough to absorb, but it would give San Antonio an offensive boost that could propel them up the Western standings in time.

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