Why Phoenix Suns need to prioritize moving on from Bradley Beal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks

Why Phoenix Suns need to prioritize moving on from Bradley Beal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks

The uh off season has been more eventful than a good chunk of the regular season was for the Phoenix Suns Wolf. And uh we have a friend of the show, Bobby Marks, ESPN NBA front office insider, a guy that I always like talking to, especially with all the stuff going on with the Suns now trying to balance out this roster. Bobby, thank you so much for the time. How are you doing? I’m good, guys. How are we doing? Uh we’re good. Doing well, Bobby. trying to figure out what is uh what the Suns can realistically do here as far as as Bradley Beal. From from your perspective on this, how urgent is it that they move off that contract or are they better off just keeping him and not playing them or whatever? Yeah, I mean I if I was in the Suns front office, I would I think there’s more of a a sense of urgency. Not really like who is going to be there to sign once you create all this flexibility but just a matter of what the doors open as far as from a flexibility standpoint from you know trades from you know your your pick becoming um that potentially could be frozen again this year. Um you don’t have the danger of that again. It it would start the clock as far as for your pick that’s frozen already to become unfrozen. So I I do think there’s a priority as far as to get some resolution in the next week as far as what happens with uh with Bradley as far as you know it’s a it’s a big number you guys know you I don’t know if you want 54 and 58 sitting on your books but on the other end you can make the argument do we want 20 um you know do we want $20 million on on uh you know for the next five years and everything. So it’s uh it’s something I think both sides will will work through. I would be stunned if he’s on the roster when when training camp starts. I would be surprised with that. Yeah, I’ I’d be surprised as well. Bobby, when you look at what the Phoenix Suns have done, is there a move out there that is a surprise to you? What is the biggest surprise to you that the Phoenix Suns have done so far? Well, I mean, I love what they did in the draft. I I really do. I mean, I I thought they did a really good job as far as just kind of maneuvering. And I know uh you know getting that pick from Houston in in the Durant trade uh and then you know I’m a big fan of Malotch. I mean just as a a person and I think he could be a really good player. Um and I like what they did in the second round where they basically started at 52 and 59 and then wind up in at 31 and Rashir Fleming I think could be a really nice player and Kobe Bray another player one of the better shooters in this draft. Um, so you’ve got an infusion of younger players and then you add those two those three with Ryan and Oso and all of a sudden you’re starting to see like a what was an older team start all of a sudden to get um to get younger here and Jaylen too. I mean when you add Jaylen Green into that equation also we’re talking to Bobby Marks. Yeah, Jaylen Green is who I was going to ask you about next. Just where you come out on him. I mean he’s still only 23. He was the number two overall pick back in 2021. that the athleticism is is unquestioned. But yeah, I guess Bobby, where do you think his game needs to evolve and and can it evolve in a back court with the pieces the Suns already have? Yeah, I mean, I I think it was um his first probably his first two or first two years, I think it was really uneven in Houston um with him and um Kevin Porter Jr. and you know things kind of went off track there and you know there was the flashes of him being really good and then there was the inconsistencies whether it be turning the ball you know there was a lot of things there and I think when when Eay came in Udoka there was some structure right there’s accountability I think that’s that’s going to be the biggest thing and I I know Jordan not a good coach and everything and it’s but he’s a rookie coach and it’s the accountability part um if it won’t work in in um in Phoenix if you’re not holding him accountable and you’re trying to tighten up some things here because you have seen the really good moments from for him whether it be in a couple of those playoff games or whether during the course of the season. I thought he had a really good year last year and and you’re right he’s you know 23 24 years old. You don’t um you don’t give up on players like that when they have that that type of potential. Bobby, come on. Malawatch is 18 years old, man. He’s it just blows my mind. Bobby, what should be the expectation for a kid who’s 18 years old? I think he’s going to play and, you know, he’s not a, you know, he’s not a project. That’s the beauty of it. I mean, defensively, I think he can be really high level. Um, you know, he’s a rim protector. He doesn’t block as many shots as as you probably would see in in the stat line. Um, I think he can impact the game. Uh, I think him playing at Duke last year at a high level u certainly helps. Um, uh, you know, offensively when I and when we were in Chicago for the pre-draft camp, you know, everybody sits in the stands and stuff and I was like, you know what, let me go down the floor, see how these I want to watch these guys shoot and stuff. And I just stood next to him while he shot from the perimeter and his his shots not broken. I think it’s just got to be, you know, repetition and and confidence. Um he is and I said this on the night of the draft and because one of the things I get to do is you know work with these prospects when they’re preparing to interview and I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of players and Tyrese Hallebertton was always my favorite and but I say like now Ash is like like he’s right up there man just as a person right just like as the the person as who he is where he’s from you know I mean goodness gracious grandparents are like 76 and 73 you know I mean so you know there’s some some some genetics there and but the biggest thing and I and I said this um I think I said this t Wednesday night of the draft and I said what’s the one thing you know like your wow moment or what intimidated you from playing you know team USA uh in the Olympics and he was like no there wasn’t there wasn’t it was really like god I had seen my mom in two years and I see you’re walking down the stairs and I was like you know that was the thing that kind of intimidated him the most and everything like that but I just think he’s a special person and I I think he’ll do really good things uh in in Phoenix. We’re talking to Bobby Marks. Bobby, with with the pieces the Suns have added and obviously it’s going to be a bit of a process here, especially in the Western Conference, but when you look at the roster, even with the best case scenarios with all these guys, what do you think the next sort of piece they need to add is whether it’s this summer or a year from now. Yeah, I mean it’s, you know, I I think you you probably want to get, you know, I would I would think probably more consistency. You know, you’re we’re feels like we’re always searching for a point guard, right? I mean, I think, you know, it didn’t work out with with Taius. Now, let’s say if Bradley’s not there, you have uh you’ve got Devin and you’ve got uh you’ve got Jaylen. So, you would you would love to get another facilitator in there. um a lot of what they’re what they what they’re probably going to need is is going to come uh within just based on where they are from a from a financial standpoint. I I think the biggest thing and I and I and I hate just keep on c comparing to Houston. I think the biggest thing is is like who are you right? Like who are you as a team? Like Houston we knew if you’re going to play them they’re going to try to knock your head off as far as from a defensive identity. I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for me as far as like how they get better and you know if this group stays intact which I’m anticipating except for probably some things like what is the what’s going to be the identity of this group. Bobby I got no time to ask you a question but there’s so much more I want to ask you. We got to have you on again at some point in time. Really appreciate you Bobby for coming on and spending time with us. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. Thanks Bobby. That’s Bobby Marks joining us right there. of course, ESPN NBA front office insider. Really is the perfect guy to talk to through all this because he’s done all this. Love talking to him. He he knows this stuff better than pretty much anybody. Just the intricacies of the NBA, CBA, and how to how to work around and how to just how to navigate this stuff. Thanks for watching Wolf and Luke. Tap to see more and click the button in the middle to subscribe to Arizona Sports.

ESPN’s NBA front office insider Bobby Marks joined Wolf & Luke to talk about why the Phoenix Suns need to prioritize moving on from Bradley Beal and what makes rookie Khaman Maluach so special.

Suns GM believes Devin Booker and Jalen Green coexist with speed and defensive anticipation: https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/devin-booker-jalen-green/3589502/

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