Ever tried seasoning cereal? That’s what the Phoenix Suns are flirting with. They may think buying out and stretching Bradley Beal is bold, but it screams desperation unless they’ve got a magic trick ready to go. As whispers grow louder, Beal seems ready to face the music. And guess what? It might play loudest in free agency. No sugarcoating this mess. Phoenix better have fireworks ready, or this summer’s just smoke. Beal, on the other hand, may finally call his own shot.

On Sunday, NBA’s wise old owl Marc Stein dropped a gem: the 3x All-Star is eyeing escape routes as the Suns weigh pulling the plug. But here’s where it heats up. Stein also teased that “significant interest” will flood in once Beal hits the market as an unrestricted free agent. That is if he does.

Now the plot thickens for Mat Ishbia and crew. Bradley Beal, 32, still has over $110 million tied to his name for the next two seasons. These happen to be the closing chapters of his five-year $251 million saga inked in 2022. And for Phoenix, pulling the plug on that contract might just cost them a fortune wrapped in regret. So, unless they enjoy financial cliff dives, they’d better tread carefully.

Meanwhile, insiders Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon dived deeper into the trade scenes for Beal on the Game Theory Podcast. They touched upon the matter of interest in a Bradley Beal signing. The All-Star guard may need to cough up around $10 to $15 million to trigger a buyout, but he still walks away with most of his deal and gets to choose his next home. Meanwhile, Phoenix can’t waive and stretch him due to NBA rules. With $26 million in dead money looming and a $23.2 million cap limit, the math screams trouble.

Now, you see, the LA Lakers have shown interest in the guard. They like scorers, and with Luka Doncic and LeBron James leading, there’s room for one more sharpshooter in the squad. However, there are two threats. “Miami has long been rumored. That’s always been a spot that could end up being the choice. The Clippers make immense sense for Bradley Beal,” Vecenie mentioned. “They don’t have a crazy amount. I’ll note that because they gave out a lot of money to Brook Lopez from their mid-level exception,” he added.

Across 106 games in Phoenix, Bradley Beal quietly averaged 17.5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and half a block while shooting 51, 41, and 81. Sure, he played around 53 games a season and got overpaid, but slap those numbers on a tax MLE or vet min, and boom—instant value. He was miscast in Phoenix, but his next act could shake the league. “He has a chance to swing the title picture if he picks the right spot. If he just picks Miami, then Miami doesn’t have enough. It is what it is,” Sam Vecenie said. “But if he picks the Clippers, and then you’re looking at a team with Bradley Beal, Kawhi, Ivica Zubac, and all the guys they have…”

Meanwhile, Bryce Simon added, “Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., Chris Dunn, Lopez—that’s a lot of depth…On an expiring, I assume Norm Powell would have a decent market.” Now, Powell signed a five-year, $90 million deal in 2021 that followed him to the Clippers, where his value kept climbing. He earned $16.76 million in 2022-23, jumped to $18 million in 2023-24, and will rake in $19.24 million in 2024-25, then $20.48 million in 2025-26. By the contract’s end, Powell’s price tag reads like a luxury menu.

Bradley Beal’s heart beats for warm weather, and reports from Fred Katz back it up. With his family cozy in Phoenix, he avoided heading north this year thanks to that no-trade clause. But what if he stays grounded and takes a flight to LA instead? Imagine the 32-year-old lighting it up for the Lakers.

Suddenly, the West gets a little wilder. Even more wild because the Lakers squad is simmering in suspense and odd moves. Just in time for Rob Pelinka to speak up, but even in that, the story gets an interesting twist.

Amidst significant interest in Bradley Beal, the Lakers’ front office pulled up an odd move

The Lakers have bolstered their squad with two intriguing signings this offseason. Deandre Ayton joins on a two-year, $16.6 million deal after a buyout from Portland. “Acquiring a starting-caliber center was the top priority for us this offseason, and we believe Deandre is an amazing solution to that objective and is an ideal player to add to our current core,” said Rob Pelinka. “Deandre’s size, mobility and athleticism will allow both paint scoring and paint protection. Deandre’s playoff experience as a starter on an NBA Finals team also aligns well with our ultimate Lakers championship aspirations.”

Meanwhile, Jake LaRavia inked a two-year, $12 million contract after splitting the 2024–25 season between the Grizzlies and Kings. “Being just 23 years old, we think Jake has significant basketball upside, which will be honed nicely in our Lakers basketball development program,” Pelinka said. With one eye on development and the other on playoff glory, the purple and gold are stacking their cards with precision.

And that’s it. Not a word about LeBron James, who just agreed to the $52.6 million player option. No words for Jaxson Hayes, who re-signed a $3.4 million contract for 6 years. Is it an indication of some sort? Especially given how the drama around Bron is brewing, where rumors suggest the 40-year-old is frustrated with LA’s lack of commitment towards him. At the same time, Hayes wasn’t happy about how JJ Redick left him rotting on the bench during the playoffs. So, just words about Ayton and Lavaria are seemingly raising eyebrows against Rob Pelinka. What is truly happening in LA remains a mystery.

The smoke in LA smells more like secrets than strategy. While Bradley Beal eyes the spotlight and teams shuffle their chess pieces, the Lakers whisper sweet praise for Ayton and LaRavia but go silent on LeBron and Hayes. Strange? Absolutely. As Beal’s saga brews and Bron’s patience thins, one thing’s clear—something’s bubbling in the purple and gold pot, and it’s about to boil over.