Suns Off Season Changes for 2025-26

[Hoop Head]

I'm guessing this is the route they go. Otherwise, they could just waive him and stretch him right now as it likely wouldn't make that big of a difference.

They can't stretch him due to rules over how much dead salary a team can stretch. We have Nassir Little's deal stretched already which is standing in the way. Beal needs to sacrifice at least $20 million I believe in a buyout to be stretch eligible.

 

[AzStevenCal]

After a while draft position no longer matters. A player is who is he. Laker Nation has turned on their fare share of role players. I’m sure his face will be out on a Bin Laden meme soon enough.

My point was that DA bombing out cost us in many ways but even if it ends the same way for the Lakers, it will be nothing more than a minor disappointment for them and their fans. They just aren't as invested in him as we were with our first ever number one pick. And while I'm confident he'll eventually wear out his welcome in LA, it wouldn't surprise me to see that team contend this season. And if that team doesn't succeed, Lebron and/or Luka will likely draw most of the heat.

 

[Mainstreet]

They can't stretch him due to rules over how much dead salary a team can stretch. We have Nassir Little's deal stretched already which is standing in the way. Beal needs to sacrifice at least $20 million I believe in a buyout to be stretch eligible.

Also, something I heard, if the Suns keep Bradley Beal this season, they can only waive and stretch the final year of his contract, approximately $60 million, for only three years.

It leaves the Suns almost in the same financial dilemma, except for three years instead of five.

 

[Proximo]

They can't stretch him due to rules over how much dead salary a team can stretch. We have Nassir Little's deal stretched already which is standing in the way. Beal needs to sacrifice at least $20 million I believe in a buyout to be stretch eligible.

I think it's around 16 million he has to give up, but that is the likely outcome now. He can make that much up when he signs to an exception with another team.

 

[Proximo]

Also, something I heard, if the Suns keep Bradley Beal this season, they can only waive and stretch the final year of his contract, approximately $60 million, for only three years.

It leaves the Suns almost in the same financial dilemma, except for three years instead of five.

Yeah, but the odds of being able to trade him as an expiring contract go way up, but even if we can't it's just one more year to hold on to him. It would be even stupider to stretch it with 1 year left.

 

[Proximo]

My point was that DA bombing out cost us in many ways but even if it ends the same way for the Lakers, it will be nothing more than a minor disappointment for them and their fans. They just aren't as invested in him as we were with our first ever number one pick. And while I'm confident he'll eventually wear out his welcome in LA, it wouldn't surprise me to see that team contend this season. And if that team doesn't succeed, Lebron and/or Luka will likely draw most of the heat.

That team is not contending. They have zero depth, and Luka and Lebron are already not getting along. Throw in the knucklehead Ayton, and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

[Proximo]

Maybe they just buy him out and move on without stretching.

Sending him home is a better option in my opinion.

At some point in the next 2 years we will get a trade offer, or a better deal on buying him out.

 

[Superbone]

My point was that DA bombing out cost us in many ways but even if it ends the same way for the Lakers, it will be nothing more than a minor disappointment for them and their fans. They just aren't as invested in him as we were with our first ever number one pick. And while I'm confident he'll eventually wear out his welcome in LA, it wouldn't surprise me to see that team contend this season. And if that team doesn't succeed, Lebron and/or Luka will likely draw most of the heat.

OK, Steve. Rub it in. We won the Ayton disappointment sweepstakes. Can never hear it enough times so thanks for that.

 

[GatorAZ]

I think it's around 16 million he has to give up, but that is the likely outcome now. He can make that much up when he signs to an exception with another team.

You don’t give up money when you hold the leverage. If I’m putting myself in Beal’s shoes I’m making them waive me at full price then signing wherever I want to go for 110 cents on the dollar.

 

[Hoop Head]

You don’t give up money when you hold the leverage. If I’m putting myself in Beal’s shoes I’m making them waive me at full price then signing wherever I want to go for 110 cents on the dollar.

If Beal truly believes he's healthy and can play then he has to give up some salary to be able to go elsewhere if the Suns send him home. It's a weird stalemate now.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah, but the odds of being able to trade him as an expiring contract go way up, but even if we can't it's just one more year to hold on to him. It would be even stupider to stretch it with 1 year left.

That's the point I was making, it doesn't help the Suns much to keep Beal a season, then stretch him.

Now if the Suns could trade him as an expiring contract his final season, that's another matter, but still no guarantee of a taker.

Presently, the Suns still have the problem of getting below the second tax apron and if they do, not to quickly re-enter it by signing a player with a higher salary that might make a difference.

Trading Allen and O'Neale, taking near equal salary in return, doesn't help in regard to the second tax apron.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You don’t give up money when you hold the leverage. If I’m putting myself in Beal’s shoes I’m making them waive me at full price then signing wherever I want to go for 110 cents on the dollar.

I thought that if you are waived and sign with another team, what you get from the new team comes off your salary for the old team. Which of course means that no one needs to offer him more than the minimum.

 

[Goldfield]

i would keep the hell out of richards - if there's a center shortage now wait until the season starts - wait until the injuries start - then get top dollar

Problem is our Starting center will probably get hurt lol

 

[BirdGangThing]

Problem is our Starting center will probably get hurt lol

prolly why richards is still here

 

[clyde2tw]

Also, something I heard, if the Suns keep Bradley Beal this season, they can only waive and stretch the final year of his contract, approximately $60 million, for only three years.

It leaves the Suns almost in the same financial dilemma, except for three years instead of five.

It'd be the better option regarding Beal. If Suns could avoid 2nd apron by trading Allen and RO for lesser salary in return, they could keep Beal on the roster but off the team. If Beal ever wanted to play, he might concede more money to achieve a sooner buyout. If that reduction could be placed on his 26-27 salary of 57mil and stretched over 3 years, it might be just around 15mil a year.

 

[angel_ofthe_south]

Dumping Beal would seem to mean the FO isn't lying about wanting to keep Green, because if it dumped both, it would suddenly be relatively thin at shooting guard. Until now, I thought perhaps it only wants to fool teams into thinking Green is someone they should want to trade for.

The only thing I prefer about Green is his youth.

 

[Proximo]

You don’t give up money when you hold the leverage. If I’m putting myself in Beal’s shoes I’m making them waive me at full price then signing wherever I want to go for 110 cents on the dollar.

He doesn’t have any leverage. All he is doing is taking up a roster spot, considering we had Damien lee on the roster all last year clearly that isn’t a big deal.

We have the leverage if he wants to play.

 

[Proximo]

Dumping Beal would seem to mean the FO isn't lying about wanting to keep Green, because if it dumped both, it would suddenly be relatively thin at shooting guard. Until now, I thought perhaps it only wants to fool teams into thinking Green is someone they should want to trade for.

The only thing I prefer about Green is his youth.

Green still has potential, a change of scenery may do him well. I want to see what he does with us since his potential is likely better than anyone else we could get for him.

 

[angel_ofthe_south]

Green still has potential, a change of scenery may do him well. I want to see what he does with us since his potential is likely better than anyone else we could get for him.

If nothing else, my comment was a good use of reverse psychology to provoke someone into finally suggesting that Green may not be a waste of money, a player whose team is worse when he plays, etc. I am also interested in giving him a shot.

 

[Hoop Head]

Would someone remind me whether Jordan Ott is knownn to care about defense? Was he a defensive coordinator as an assistant coach?

My problem is that when I heard he wants his Suns to run, I got uneasy about that, because the memory of Mike D'Antoni creates unfair associations in my mind with running and at least two things: ignoring defense, overall bad coaching and team structure (i.e., ignoring bench and creating a team grossly top-heavy in favor of starters), and talking as though running is some magic bullet that will overwhelm opponents.

Ott is not D'Antoni by any stretch. Cleveland, where Ott came from, played with pace and a strong defensive presence. They were more the sort of team who dared people to drive and shut down the interior accordingly. They did that with 2 undersized and relatively poor defenders in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter. Their job was to get in shooters jersey's. It worked well.

Ott wasnt the defensive guru there that I know of. That doesn't mean he ignores the importance. You're jumping the gun comparing his call for quick pace offense to D'Antoni.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Would someone remind me whether Jordan Ott is knownn to care about defense? Was he a defensive coordinator as an assistant coach?

My problem is that when I heard he wants his Suns to run, I got uneasy about that, because the memory of Mike D'Antoni creates unfair associations in my mind with running and at least two things: ignoring defense, overall bad coaching and team structure (i.e., ignoring bench and creating a team grossly top-heavy in favor of starters), and talking as though running is some magic bullet that will overwhelm opponents.

I wouldn’t worry about the desire to play faster being correlated with dantoni disinterest in defense as it’s just given in today’s nba that playing faster is seen as a major plus. Combine that with the suns snail pace last year and I’ve been alarmed if a new coach DIDN’T make that comment.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If Beal truly believes he's healthy and can play then he has to give up some salary to be able to go elsewhere if the Suns send him home. It's a weird stalemate now.

Can they send him home per the union?

 

[Mainstreet]

Can they send him home per the union?

Jae Crowder sat at home all season until he was traded.

 

[Mainstreet]

I thought it would be worthwhile to look at the Suns standard 15 man roster as it stands today.

Guards:

Devin Booker
Jalen Green
Collin Gillespie
Bradley Beal
Grayson Allen
Koby Brea

Forwards:

Dillon Brooks
Oso Ighodoro
Rasheer Fleming
Royce O'Neale
Ryan Dunn
Nigel Hayes-Davis

Centers:

Mark Williams
Khaman Maluach
Nick Richards


Two-way contracts:

CJ Huntley

 

[Mainstreet]

NBA free agency starts tomorrow, Sunday, July 6, 2025.