Bradley Beal will be a very desirable free agent as soon as he completes his inevitable buyout from the Phoenix Suns, and the suitors are already lining up. Among them are the Milwaukee Bucks, who can pitch Beal on the idea of being a legitimate second option on a team with title aspirations. As a player trying to rehab his value and show he can still play, the more opportunities he has, the better.
Bucks have what other teams don't - opportunity
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, current suitors for the former All-Star include Milwaukee, both teams in Los Angeles, and Minnesota. While all of those teams have appeal in some form, none of them have a clear opening for a second fiddle like Milwaukee does. That could be the Bucks' strongest offer in any communication with Bradley Beal.
Let's start with the LA Clippers, who seem to be the favorites to land Beal after they parted ways with two-guard Norman Powell in a surprising trade. How many touches would Beal get playing next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard? The same applies to the Lakers alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic. How about Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle in Minnesota?
Does Beal want to remain a third fiddle after a disastrous stint in Phoenix where he played behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant?
For a player who is likely looking to showcase that he can still be worth the big money in today's NBA, the higher up he is in the pecking order, the better. That's why the Milwaukee Bucks should be among the more interesting suitors. With Damian Lillard gone, this team doesn't have a clear second option to support Giannis Antetokounmpo. Perhaps Bradley Beal could fill that role.
Milwaukee is clearly embracing a "by committee" approach for next season. Rather than banking on top-heavy trios as they have in the past, they want everyone on the roster to contribute in their own ways. On paper, Beal would be the true No. 2 behind Giannis due to his scoring prowess, giving him more opportunities with the basketball than he might get elsewhere.
Even if he has regressed from his All-Star days, Beal still has some juice. Even in a down year, he put up 17 points and 3.7 assists on 38.6 percent 3-point shooting last season. On a minimum deal, that type of player could go a long way for a Milwaukee Bucks team that could use another creator. It may also help out Bradley Beal if he spends this year trying to build his value back up.
On a cheap, team-friendly deal, this would be about as low-risk as possible.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.