The season is over for the Phoenix Suns. Not officially, but with seven games left and the reality we’ve all accepted for months finally sinking in, the mindset is shifting. This isn’t a survival mission anymore. It’s a rescue operation. And there isn’t much left to salvage. What’s done is done. It’s time to accept the fate.
Still, these past few weeks have offered something unexpected: a glimpse of the future. The Suns’ younger players — Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, and Collin Gillespie — have injected life into a lost season, not as saviors, but as building blocks. They won’t change the present, but they might shape what comes next.
It’s impossible not to wonder what might have been if Mike Budenholzer had turned to them sooner. Instead, they sat, gathering dust while the Suns got steamrolled, missing exactly what they bring—defense, athleticism, disruption. None of them are stars, but they look like rotation players. And in a season short on wins, that’s something worth holding onto.
Bradley Beal’s status remains a mystery. He’s now missed seven straight games, last seen in the Suns’ humiliating loss to the Lakers on March 16. Hamstring injuries are tricky. Push too soon, and you risk something worse. Maybe that’s why he’s still out. Or maybe the Suns are shutting him down quietly, avoiding the optics of an official announcement.
If that’s the case, put it in the books: 48 games played out of 82. That’s $1.1 million per game for 17.3 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and a staggering -236 plus-minus. A costly investment. A costly season.
If Beal were healthy enough to return, the bigger question is: Would the Suns even want him back on the court?
Right now, this youth movement isn’t just about filling minutes. It’s a chance to evaluate and develop players against elite competition. Bringing Beal back could disrupt that progress, muddy the scouting process, and throw off the defensive energy these young guys are injecting into the lineup. It’s not like the Suns are making a postseason run anyway, right?
As for the fans? They’ve checked out on Beal for the season. A staggering 94% would rather roll with the youth than watch him return for a few meaningless games.
It’s just more confirmation that the Beal trade was a mistake.
No shade on him as a player or a person. He’s a talented scorer. But he’s not what this team needed, and he never was. His skill set doesn’t fit, his presence doesn’t elevate, and his absence doesn’t hurt. That says everything.
The Suns could finish these last seven games with a losing record, and I wouldn’t care. As long as Beal stays sidelined. I’d rather watch growth than frustration. At least for now, I can pretend he’s not the dam blocking the Suns’ river.
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