Bradley Beal looked good coming off the bench for the first time as a Sun Monday night. He scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, was a team-high +14, and boosted a bench that is 24th in the NBA in scoring.
That doesn’t mean he’s happy about it. After the Sixers game, Beal said he had no warning that coach Mike Budenholzer was planning to move him to the bench, replaced in the starting five by rookie Ryan Dunn. Here is what he said, via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Was Beal surprised by the move?
“One hundred percent,” he said flatly…
“I’m a starter in the league,” Beal said. “I firmly believe that. I don’t believe that — no disrespect to anyone, but I’m a starter. That’s what I firmly believe. But Coach made his decision. I’m not gonna sit here and argue with it. I’m not gonna sit here and be a distraction. I’m not gonna sit here and be an a–hole. He made his decision. I live with it. He’s the coach, know what I’m saying? I just gotta go out and play my game, and whatever happens from there, happens from there.”
Beal’s move to the bench sparked further speculation about him being traded, possibly in a multi-team deal that brings Jimmy Butler to Phoenix (Miami does not want Beal and his $100.8 million owed over the two seasons after this one on its books, Beal would need to go to a third team). One big challenge in that kind of trade is that Beal has a no-trade clause, so he can reject any trade destination he doesn’t like. The rumored idea is that moving Beal to the bench is part of a plan to make him unhappy enough to waive that no-trade clause when the 3- or 4-team trade comes together.
Beal said he has not been approached about any of this.
“If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards,” Beal said. “So, until I’m addressed and somebody says something differently, then I’ll be a Sun.”
It feels like that’s going to get addressed, one way or another, in the coming weeks. Whether Beal can be pushed to agree to a move out of Phoenix is another question.
For now, he looked pretty good coming off the bench.
