NBA Insider Speculates About Why Bradley Beal Might Be Benched

Beal and the Suns have stumbled to a 15-18 record this season.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) waits for play to resume against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Suns have dropped seven of their last eye games to fall to 15–18 on the year and the organization is making the unusual step of benching Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic from the starting lineup, per Yahoo's Chris Haynes. Both players have track records full of positive production but to this point of the season, neither has closely resembled their previous self.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel offered an interesting theory as to the Suns' motivation behind the move Monday morning on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

"I still think a trade's the most viable option and I do think what's happening in Phoenix is worth keeping an eye on," Winderman said. "[Beal] has to agree to waive his no-trade clause. Well, what's a good way to have a player want to waive his no-trade clause? Bench him. Play him off the bench for a player that he clearly doesn't believe is better than him."

Ryan Dunn is expected to get the start in place of Beal for Phoenix Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Beal is averaging 17.8 points in 33.3 minutes per game so far this season, his lowest average since the 2015-16 season. The 31-year-old is under contract through the 2026-27 campaign and his second season with the Suns suggests the franchise is no closer to creating the superteam they may have envisioned when they brought him in to augment Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

How Beal responds to the benching will be a major indication if the player and organization are on the same page. If Winderman is correct in his thought that they're trying to frustrate him to the point where he is more willing to accept a trade, that seems like a painful process for all involved.

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