While rumors continue to circulate regarding the future of Bradley Beal, the Phoenix Suns have made a couple of notable roster decisions. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and John Gambadoro, the team has re-signed Collin Gillespie to a new contract and will not retain Cody Martin.
Following the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, speculation emerged about whether Beal could be the next star on the move. However, the Suns’ renewed investment in Gillespie suggests growing internal confidence in the young guard.
Charania revealed that Gillespie is signing a guaranteed one-year deal, rewarding his strong performance last season on a two-way contract. In 33 games, Gillespie averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting an efficient 43% from the field and 43.3% from deep.
“Guard Collin Gillespie intends to sign a guaranteed one-year contract to return to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Suns officials and agents James Dunleavy and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports worked toward the deal that rewards Gillespie after a strong season on a two-way.”
As for Martin, Gambadoro noted on X (formerly Twitter) that his deal was non-guaranteed as of today, which makes him an unrestricted free agent. Martin contributed 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season, shooting 41.8% from the floor.
Beal Expected to Stay in Phoenix
Despite the chatter, recent updates suggest that Beal is staying put. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report recently downplayed the trade rumors and emphasized Beal’s role in Phoenix’s plans.
“I think there’s really nothing to expect on the Bradley Beal front outside of Bradley Beal being a member of the Phoenix Suns and trying to have a bounce-back season,” Fischer said.
He went on to highlight how Beal’s individual performance was somewhat overlooked due to the team’s disappointing season.
> “If he does that, and by bounce-back season, I want to say Bradley Beal also, because of just how poor overall Phoenix’s season went, I think his success and his efficiency as a shooter honestly got a bit overshadowed, clouded. The guy averaged 17 points a game last year, shooting 38% from three in 32 minutes per game.”
“The word out of Beal land is that Bradley Beal is healthy,” Fischer added. “He’s going to come back at 32 years old with two years left on his deal and be a real factor in Phoenix’s backcourt alongside Devin Booker and newly added Jalen Green.”
As the Suns look to rebound from an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference, they’re making moves to strengthen the roster while sticking with core contributors like Beal.
