Bradley Beal offended after Boston Celtics guard comparison (report) (2025)

By the end of the season, while the Suns tried to get to at least the play-in tournament, it was clear they were disconnected. They had one of the worst defenses in the league as the Suns tumbled down the standings, eventually finishing 36-46 and missing any part of the postseason.

The Suns expectedly fired coach Mike Budenholzer after just one season, making the move the day after the regular season. Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Budenholzer actually wanted one of his star players to emulate Jrue Holiday’s game, leading to further discontent in the locker room.

“Earlier in the season, Coach Budenholzer met with Bradley Beal, and told Bradley Beal, he wanted him to be the Jrue Holiday of this team,“ Haynes said on his show. ”Holiday is a player who might become a Hall of Famer. But you gotta understand, when you’re talking to a guy of Bradley Beal’s caliber, it wasn’t well-received.

“You know the type of player Bradley Beal is. You know how he’s made a name for himself in this league, playing his way. So asking him to shift his game, alter it and to say Jrue Holiday on top of that, somebody who Coach Budenholzer has won a championship with in Milwaukee. It wasn’t well-received the way it was explained to me.”

Per local radio host John Gambadoro, Beal was offended by the comparison, reportedly telling Budenholzer: “Don’t ever disrespect me like that. Don’t ever tell me to play like another player.” So it was clear the comparison didn’t work out.

Beal had a disappointing season as he was largely ineffective and battled injuries. He averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 53 games (38 starts) as he wasn’t the difference-maker expected when the Suns dealt for him. Beal was also in trade rumors ahead of the deadline, but due to his no-trade clause, the Suns weren’t able to move his contract and bolster the rest of the roster.

It’s no surprise that Budenholzer wanted a Holiday-like player — especially for a Suns team that struggled defensively. Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game and he teamed up with Budenholzer to win the 2021 NBA championship with the Bucks. But Beal’s game has never been like Holiday’s as Beal has been a scorer throughout his career.

The Suns now enter a potentially turbulent offseason. They had the largest payroll in NBA history, but that didn’t result in wins or even a play-in appearance. Kevin Durant could be on the trade block as he has just one season left on his contract. So there’s a lot of uncertainty in Phoenix going forward under owner Mat Ishbia.