Why a Bradley Beal trade to the Hornets is more fantasy than reality

With the Phoenix Suns potentially looking for a way out of their Bradley Beal-sized financial hole, the Charlotte Hornets could step in and help. Beal does have a no-trade clause, but those get waived all the time. Beal, while on an absolute albatross of a contract, could help the Hornets some, which has led to the rumors.

Taking on that outsized salary would undoubtedly net the Hornets a ton of assets. It would be very difficult to salary match, but that could only increase the potential return from Phoenix, although they're admittedly not flush with tradeable picks right now. Additionally, it would require Charlotte to give up a lot.

The Hornets could send Jusuf Nurkic and Miles Bridges to the Suns for Beal, the 29th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and a 2027 and 2030 first-round pick, the 2027 pick via Cleveland. This deal works and is probably pretty fair compensation, but it's highly unlikely.

Considering they traded Nurkic to Charlotte last year, and traded for Nick Richards from Charlotte in a separate trade, the need for a center in Phoenix will likely be addressed elsewhere. Still, it shores up that spot. It would give them a younger piece to pair with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant for a cheaper, younger, and perhaps better trio of stars, but the cost is still a little exorbitant.

Phoenix would move off of a $53.6 million salary in 2025-26 and a gargantuan $57.1 million player option that Beal would undoubtedly opt in to for the following season, but those two things are the primary reason they won't go after Beal at all.

They'd be very financially restricted for the next two seasons, although they'd have a ton of space after that in a class that features Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Brandon Ingram, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Green, Jordan Poole, and others. Is it worth waiting until then to even try to be competitive? Not likely.

The Hornets would make the timeline a little clearer, all while adding valuable future capital. That would give them 13 first-round picks in the next seven drafts, which is enviable but doesn't exactly help them turn things around soon. They've been bad for so long, two more guaranteed seasons of poor play won't be ideal for anyone in the building or the fan base.

Beal isn't transforming this roster, and he's probably not enough of an upgrade over Bridges to make the roster better at all. He also isn't likely to waive his no-trade clause to toil in obscurity in Charlotte. Plus, the Suns probably don't want to part with so much future capital right now, at least as long as they're unsure of Durant's future. This rumored deal isn't happening, fortunately or unfortunately.

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