Bradley Beals run with the Phoenix Suns never reached the heights he envisioned, and NBA legend Dwyane Wade has weighed in on the move that sent Beal to the Los Angeles Clippers.
After two frustrating seasons in Phoenix, where injuries and chemistry issues derailed the teams plans, the Suns opted to buy out the remainder of Beal by buying out his contract. The franchise initially brought him in from Washington during the 2023 offseason to form a star trio with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but the experiment ended with a first-round sweep in 2024 and a losing season in 2025.
Wade offered a clear perspective on why the change was needed.
I think Bradleys at a place that hes been wanting to be at, Wade said on the Time Out podcast. Hes playing with a player in James [Harden] that hes probably wanted to play with for a while. A lot of players want to play with James because of his play-making abilities.
Wade added that Hardens reputation as a leader makes this move an ideal fit.
Ive heard James is a great leader, too, he said. Ive never been in a locker room with him, but a lot of guys speak very highly of James Harden in their locker room. To go as a veteran guy and go play with other veterans in this time of his career, is probably something that is needed and wanted and is very important for him. To be around guys that are grown, grown as hell. Its a different thing when youre around that kind of energy. I look forward to it.
Beals Suns tenure was plagued by injuries, he missed 58 games over two seasons, and 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 three.
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