NBA Trade Rumors: Bradley Beal anticipates staying with the Phoenix Suns despite rumors of a Jimmy Butler trade.
Bradley Beal anticipates staying with the Phoenix Suns despite rumors of a Jimmy Butler trade.According to Sam Amick, David Aldridge, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Bradley Beal, the guard for the Phoenix Suns, is expected to stay with the team until Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
"A league source close to Beal reiterated on Tuesday that there are currently no talks about him waiving the clause, and that he expects to remain in Phoenix through the deadline," the writers wrote.
Despite having a no-trade clause, Beal has been the subject of a lot of trade rumors and speculation lately.
But all the cards were in Beal's hand. According to NBA source Jake Fischer on Feb. 3, "The unrelenting word continues to be that Beal has no desire to bless a trade pretty much anywhere and prefers to remain in Phoenix, where his family has been settling after finally leaving the nation's capital."
Therefore, Beal seems certain to stay in Phoenix, especially since the trade deadline is less than 48 hours away.
The Suns had reportedly been interested in Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler for a while, but that has been linked to Beal, who has $53.7 million left on his deal in 2025–2026 and can choose to exercise a $57.1 million player option in 2026–2027.
In short, it's a large contract that would need to be renegotiated to fit the numbers.
On January 21, Fred Katz of The Athletic described the relationship.
According to several reports, the front office has shown a great deal of interest in Jimmy Butler, a disgruntled Miami Heat star. Given Beal's salary and the Suns' limited financial flexibility, they would have to include Beal in a trade for him (assuming the team's top two performers, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, are off the table).
The Suns will have to go elsewhere to make a trade because they don't seem likely to receive that consent.
After the Suns traded with the Washington Wizards in the 2023 offseason, Beal was acquired by trade. It was anticipated that he will join Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to form a big three and contend for a championship.
The group has not found success with it. But in Phoenix, Beal has been effective, putting up 17.8 points on 50.5 percent shooting (41.7 percent from three). Since Phoenix switched him and center Jusuf Nurkić to the second unit, he has been coming off the bench.
As the Suns seek to bolster their roster elsewhere, he will remain with them going forward. Given that they are only 25–24 and only good for 10th place in the Western Conference, Phoenix needs to find a solution.
Even though Kevin Durant, a 15-time All-Star, has continued to be outstanding with 26.9 points per game, Phoenix might blow it up and sell him.
However, the Dallas Mavericks "have dreams of" trading for Durant, according to Sam Amick, David Aldridge, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Houston Rockets are also "contemplating a pursuit" at this time. The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, are "legitimately calling about every All-Star player," according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Even though Beal appears to be staying, the Suns are still a team to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches.
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