NBA Exec: Bradley Beal Is 'Toxic Debt Now' on Suns Contract After Trade amid Rumors

The Phoenix Suns pushed all of their chips to the center of the table last offseason to acquire Bradley Beal and his massive contract, which includes a no-trade clause.

But after getting swept in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves—and following a season that saw Beal average just 18.2 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2015-16 season, while the Suns were left with little quality depth behind Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker—it appears the Suns may have gone all in with suspect cards.

"Taking the swing to acquire him wasn't without justification," an Eastern Conference executive told Ric Bucher of Fox Sports. "But Beal is toxic debt now. You have to move on before Book and KD demand trades and you lose leverage in the market place."

It's similar language to how ESPN's Bobby Marks described Beal and his contract last week.

"[Beal's no-trade clause] should have been a dealbreaker if you're Phoenix," he said Monday (2:00 mark). "That should have been a walkaway. Now you are married, again, to that no-trade clause and probably the most toxic contract in NBA history. Beal's a good player. Beal's not a $50-million-per-year player. He's not worth the $160 million left on his contract."

Even if the Suns could find a taker for Beal's prohibitive contract, they would likely have to be comfortable giving up assets to get off his deal, and it would all be a moot point if he decided to exercise his no-trade clause and waive the deal.

In other words, if the Suns want to restructure the roster around Durant and Booker, they'll probably need to do so with Beal still in Phoenix.