One of the most intriguing parts about the Suns potentially dealing to acquire Jimmy Butler is that Bradley Beal holds all the power.
As a second-apron team, the Suns will need to trade one of their big players to make a Butler trade happen, and it won’t be Kevin Durant or Devin Booker, so Beal is the likely candidate.
This situation became even more interesting this week when Mike Budenholzer moved Beal to the bench.
However, according to ESPN, “Beal and his agent have not discussed waiving his no-trade clause and his main focus is helping the team improve from its recent slump,” agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.
Bartelstein said, “There have been no talks about trades with the Suns or any other team. Bradley’s main focus is on helping the Suns turn things around.”
Beal’s agreement with the Suns includes one of the NBA’s few remaining true no-trade clauses, which he utilized to move to Phoenix after requesting a trade from Washington.
The latest update from Butler’s camp is that Phoenix is his “preferred destination according to every high-ranking team official” contacted by insider Jake Fischer.
Butler sees Phoenix as one of the few places willing to offer him the big, long-term deal he desires.
Fischer stated, “Beal’s no-trade clause is crucial in this scenario, so team officials must proceed cautiously. Until there is a multi-team trade proposal that benefits both the Suns and Heat, Phoenix has no reason to discuss this with Beal. “You can’t approach Brad unless there’s a deal on the table,” a longtime Eastern Conference executive said. “You can’t risk losing him until you have a plan to move him.” It appears that Beal has settled in the desert, does not wish to be traded at this point, and has no plans to waive his no-trade clause.”
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