Lakers Rumors: NBA Insider Provides Massive Update on Bradley Beal Interest

Could multi-time All-Star Bradley Beal become a member of the Los Angeles Lakers?

Rumors have been flying fast and furiously in the wake of multiple reports indicating that the Phoenix Suns will buyout Beal and stretch his contract over the next handful of years thus ending what was a dreadful tenure for both player and team.

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With Beal set to hit the market, the 32-year-old guard will immediately become the most attractive free agent available for contending teams.

At least five teams are expected to show free agent interest in Bradley Beal, once he officially becomes available later this week:

Bucks
Clippers
Heat
Lakers
Nuggets

As a pure scorer at a significantly cheaper annual salary, Beal’s market among contenders will be robust. pic.twitter.com/mkpZ5m1ZsJ
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 6, 2025

Reporter Evan Sidery of Forbes took to X and mentioned that a handful of teams — including the Lakers — would have strong interest in Beal once he becomes available. Others include the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.

In the wake of the three-team trade on Monday that sent Norman Powell to the Heat, one could believe that Miami would be out of the sweepstakes. Denver may also be on the outside looking in considering it recently signed Tim Hardaway Jr.

With a Bradley Beal buyout being imminent, per a source, I’m anticipating he gives up $13.9M of his remaining $110.8M, which would then clear the way for the Suns to waive-and-stretch the resulting $96.9M over 5 years and duck both tax aprons
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 7, 2025

With Powell out of the picture, the Clippers do have a major need for another guard alongside James Harden. The same can be said for the Bucks, as Milwaukee's lack of a proven commodity at either guard spot is a glaring hole.

As for the Lakers, Beal could theoretically be utilized in a host of ways. There's a world where he starts in the backcourt alongside Austin Reaves with a frontcourt consisting of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and recent acquisition Deandre Ayton.

If the Lakers wanted to go big and have Rui Hachimura with the starting group, Beal projects as a very strong Sixth Man option. Beal is a career 37.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He is coming off a year in which he averaged 17 points per game despite being in a very volatile situation.

With the amount of open looks Beal would presumably get in this offense, his fit with the Lakers from an offensive standpoint figures to be excellent. There may be some deficiencies defensively with a Reaves-Beal-Doncic-James-Ayton group. Not one of those players is what anyone would call an above-average defender.

However, given the arms race in the Western Conference, landing Beal on some sort of short deal would help the team's depth considerably.

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