The Lakers seem like a longshot to potentially sign Bradley Beal

While they are in the mix, it looks like the Lakers will be an underdog to sign Bradley Beal if he’s bought out by the Suns.

The Lakers were the beneficiary of one expected buyout this summer in Deandre Ayton, but it seems unlikely that lightning will strike twice.

The Phoenix Suns are one of the more fascinating teams to monitor in the NBA in the same way it’s fun to watch car crash compilations on YouTube. As they tear down their completely failed experiment of a Big Three with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the last of those is next on the chopping block.

His utterly absurd contract will pay him $53.6 million this season with a player option for $57.1 million next season and includes a no-trade clause. It’s because of that last bit that the most likely way for him to leave the Suns this offseason is via buyout and not trade.

There are still hurdles to overcome on that front. First, he has to actually want a buyout. Second, he’ll have to give back a huge chunk of money so the amount of dead money on the Suns' cap doesn’t exceed the allowable amount of 15%.

If all of that is agreed upon, then he’ll have a whole host of teams lining up for him, which will likely include the Lakers. According to NBA reporter Jake Fischer, the Lakers are among the teams that would be interested in Beal.

Some confirmed suitors for Beal include the LA Clippers — fresh off agreeing to trade Norman Powell to Miami in a three-team deal that will bring back Utah’s John Collins — as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Minnesota.

However, before you start dreaming of what LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Bradley Beal together, it sounds like the other LA team would be the frontrunner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

There could be a couple of reasons to have the Clippers ranked higher, but chief among them is likely a starting spot that isn’t available with the Lakers. In the purple and gold, he’s likely the sixth man with Austin Reaves the starting shooting guard.

With the Clippers, he can start alongside James Harden and Kawhi Leonard after they recently traded away Norman Powell. Similarly, the Bucks would have more playing time available, too.

The Lakers likely have the highest ceiling of those teams listed but also can’t offer him the same opportunities. You can’t fault Beal for choosing a situation he can start in, but it means he’s likely not going to be in purple and gold next season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.‬