Bradley Beal appears headed for a buyout with the Phoenix Suns. While the New York Knicks have not been name-checked as a likely suitor, the gift they just received from Guerschon Yabusele could position them to make a run at the polarizing star thanks to an obscure rule in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.
Teams operating over the first and second aprons are technically not allowed to sign players who receive buyouts if they were originally making more than the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception of $14.1 million. Beal’s current salary of $53.7 million clears that nearly four times over.
However!
This buyout rule only applies to the regular season. Since it’s the offseason, Beal can sign with whichever team he pleases. It all depends on his top priorities.
Other teams can offer Beal more money than the Knicks, but…
The Knicks can only offer Beal a veteran’s minimum contract for next season. That is problematic when he must give back at least $14 million of his $110.8 million contract balance with the Suns to facilitate his exit.
This puts New York at a disadvantage to a potential suitor like the Los Angeles Clippers, who still have room beneath the first apron and part of their mid-level exception to offer. Writing for The Stein Line, NBA insider Jake Fischer also identifies the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves as potential Beal landing spots.
Still, the Knicks are in a better position to contend than all of those teams. It is inherently harder to come out of the Western Conference, and the Bucks remain a notch behind the tippy top of the East even after landing Myles Turner.
New York can also give Beal a starting-lineup slot if it’s cool with bringing both Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson off the bench. This is a huge selling point in the event any of the Clippers, Bucks, or Timberwolves aren’t prepared to do the same.
The Knicks should keep their eye on Bradley Beal
People will inevitably overthink the Beal fit in The Big Apple. That’s fair. The Knicks have already leaned all the way into offense this offseason with the additions of Yabusele, and Jordan Clarkson. Any lineup featuring Beal, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns will be teeming with defensive issues.
That’s no reason to punt on this potential opportunity. Beal is a major upgrade as a shooter and scorer over Clarkson, and provides a more modest bump as a ball-handler and playmaker, too. Adding the former All-Star does increase the complexity of the offense, but that’s why New York tapped Mike Brown as Tom Thibodeau’s replacement. His offensive principles are better suited to incorporating multiple ball-handlers, and generating more overall movement and opportunities for everyone.
This all becomes moot if Beal is bent on recouping all of the money he will forfeit in a buyout. Assuming he’s trying to balance compensation with playing time, the Clippers are the ideal landing spot. But if Beal’s ready to (finally) prioritize winning over everything, the Knicks can offer him the best shot at a title—and a fairly prominent role to go along with it.