The Phoenix Suns just can’t escape the spotlight. On the court or off it, the drama never stops. Bradley Beal’s benching? Trade whispers? Jimmy Butler rumors? A Kevin Durant gamble gone wrong? You name it and they have it. Even Coach Bud and Booker had their little spat. It’s chaos! But through it all, two conversations refuse to fade—the KD trade and Beal’s messy situation. And if not the media, who else to spill more on the situation? And that’s what Tim MacMahon did.

On The Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon discussed the Suns’ matters in hand. They made some sharp remarks while talking about Bradley Beal, as some insights on him came to light. Apparently, Tim MacMahon spoke to someone at the Dallas Mavericks after they lost the game 113-114 vs. the Suns on Nov 8, 2024.

But before diving into that conversation, the ESPN reporter couldn’t hide his feelings. Instead, he bluntly blurted: “The Bradley Beal deal has been a disaster. It’s a massive bust.” However, to keep things slightly subtle, he added: “Bradley Beal is a good NBA player.” This is when Bontemps taunted, “This is the big, expansive statement.” Bradley Beal is only three years into his massive five-year, $251 million deal. The kicker? A no-trade clause locks him in, and he holds a player option for 2026-27. In other words, he’s calling the shots. “Bradley is on a god-awful contract who doesn’t enhance anything that the Suns’ stars do,” MacMahon further stated.

However, Beal calling the shots has done some damage to the Suns, especially during the February trade window when they were aiming for some big names. Keeping in mind that the 31-year-old guard holds special powers, second only to LeBron James, Phoenix signing him off the Wizards was a big leap of faith. What were they thinking? That Bradley could’ve been their key to a ring? Maybe.

“It was the Mavs’ first road game this year. I covered that game,” MacMahon now narrated the story. “That’s when I gave Tyler Ford the ‘too small’ sign in the hallway postgame. Wee little ref. But anyway, the Suns won that game. I was talking with some Mavs coaches afterward. Not in a disrespectful way, but they said, ‘You know, Beal not playing hurt us.'” What is that supposed to be?

Tim MacMahon explained what he had heard. He said that Beal is a great offensive player, but he’s an easy target on the defense for the Suns. “All he’s doing is taking touches away from KD and Booker,” MacMahon noted. But at the same time, Beal isn’t particularly the max player kind. He’s good, but not the best to invest in, according to the ESPN insider. “He doesn’t enhance the two superstars on that team,” was the ultimate verdict on Bradley Beal. But then, there’s Tim Bontemps, who is holding a different outlook on the Phoenix Suns’ headache.

Bradley Beal’s trade might not be the worst one, as Kevin Durant’s name fails to skip the discussion

“I would also argue that the worst trade they made was the Kevin Durant trade. They’ve won one playoff series now in three years and gave up a mountain for him,” Tim Bontemps boldly claimed after MacMahon’s analysis. The Suns signed KD from the Nets in 2023, where he was signed for a 4-year $194 million contract in 2021. He currently has one year left on the hefty deal and might just make it through with the Suns past the 2025-26 season (or maybe not!).

The Phoenix Suns gave up a massive haul, including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and multiple first-round picks, expecting a championship run. However, in three years, they have won just one playoff series, making the trade look like a major failure. Meanwhile, Brian Windhorst supports the argument by emphasizing the heavy price Phoenix paid.

“When you look back at that, it’s already been 10 first-round picks, right? And then Cam Johnson is still on the Nets,” Windy noted. He points out that when you add up all the draft picks involved, the Suns may have sacrificed up to ten first-rounders. Meanwhile, Bridges and Johnson, who were key pieces in the deal, continue to thrive with the Brooklyn Nets.

Meanwhile, MacMahon argues the Suns weren’t dismantling a title team—they were escaping mediocrity. Ishbia took over, saw a squad barely above .500, and went all in on KD. But Bontemps isn’t buying it. Sure, the gamble made sense, but the payoff? A disaster. Phoenix bet the house on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, yet a title is nowhere in sight. Now, they’re stuck—no rings, no future, just regrets.

“I’m not saying other teams wouldn’t have made the trade. I understand why they did it. But if you’re talking about the Bradley Beal trade, the problem here is they bet on Kevin Durant, and it didn’t work,” Bontemps stated. The franchise thought that bringing Durant and Booker together would give them a championship-winning duo. But did that happen? Well, no.

The Suns rolled the dice twice. First on KD, then on Beal. Both moves were meant to bring a ring, but now? Just chaos, regret, and a hefty price tag. The dream duo of Durant and Booker hasn’t delivered, and Beal’s contract is an anchor. The verdict? Big risks, no rewards, and a future that looks anything but bright.