In an attempt to shake things up, the Phoenix Suns made the decision to bring Bradley Beal off the bench. Following his first outing in his new role, one of the team's announcers gave his thoughts on the move.
This decision to move Beal to the bench comes on the heels of him being caught up in trade rumors. Phoenix has been connected to Jimmy Butler, with the All-Star guard being the key piece of any return package.
Despite being a starter for the entirety of his NBA career, Bradley Beal put together an impressive outing off the bench. In 30 minutes of action against the Philadelphia 76ers, he recorded 25 points and five assists on stellar 10-for-15 shooting.
As a former Sixth man of the Year, Suns announcer Eddie Johnson has a good understanding of being effective off the bench. He posted a message for Beal on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, stating that points will be easier to come by with the second unit.
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With this lineup change, the Suns were able to put an end to their current losing skid. They managed to take down the Joel Embiid-less Sixers, winning by a final score of 109-99. Seeing how successful Beal was a sixth man, Phoenix will likely continue this experiment moving forward.
Bradley Beal addresses trade rumors following benching from Suns
When the reports came out that Bradley Beal was moving to the bench, the first thing many brought up was him being in trade rumors. Following Monday's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns guard addressed the elephant in the room.
Beal is a rare case in the NBA, as he has complete control over what happens to him regarding a trade. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, giving him the ability to veto a deal if he doesn't like where he will end up.
While speaking with reporters, Bradley Beal touched on his name popping up in rumors again. He brought up that he holds all the power and that he will remain in Phoenix until someone comes and talks to him about it.
"If so, I need to be addressed," Beal said. "Because I hold the cards. Until I'm addressed and somebody says something different, I'm going to be a Sun."
Beal's contract makes the reported pursuit of Jimmy Butler a little tougher, as he'll have to agree to go to the Miami Heat or somewhere else if it's a multi-team deal. The Suns also can't get a deal of this caliber done without him because his contract is needed for salary-matching purposes.
Based on his nonchalant comments Monday, Beal doesn't appear to be fazed by hearing his name tossed around in trade talks.
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