The Phoenix Suns may be trying to trade guard Bradley Beal, but the All-Star hasn’t yet talked about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein.
Beal is one of just two players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause in their contract, the other being LeBron James. According to Beal’s agent, a trade isn’t where his client’s focus is right now.
“There have been no discussions about trades with the Suns or any other team,” Bartelstein told ESPN.. “Bradley’s total focus is on helping the Suns turn things around.”
Trade rumors started to surface about Beal’s future with the Suns as they’ve been one of the teams mentioned on Jimmy Butler’s list of preferred trade destinations. It’s unclear how serious the Suns are about a potential Butler pursuit, but if a move were to be made, Beal would essentially have to be on the move. Phoenix has struggled to put together consistent wins, as they’ve gone 2-8 in their last 10 games and have a 16-19 record.
In a competitive Western Conference, the margin for error is incredibly slim, and when you commit a significant amount of money to Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, those results just don’t cut it. Something has to change, especially after Phoenix already tried to execute a quick fix this summer by replacing Frank Vogel after just one season with Mike Budenholzer at head coach.
The results haven’t been much different for the Suns a year later. Beal and Jusuf Nurkic were removed from the starting lineup in an effort to see if that shakeup would wake the Suns up, and it worked in the short term, after Phoenix beat a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team on Monday before losing against the 13th-place Hornets on Tuesday.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports moving Beal to the bench was about more than just switching things up. Windhorst said on First Take that he believes Phoenix’s plan is to push him to waive his no-trade clause.
But when Beal was asked if the move to the bench was related to a possible trade, he made it clear that the power is in his hands.
“If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards,” Beal said. “Until I’m addressed and somebody says something different, then I’m gonna be a Sun.”
Beal’s agent also doubled down, saying the All-Star guard would “never” give up the no-trade clause he originally got with the Wizards when he signed a five-year, $251 million contract in 2022. Beal still has two years and $110 million left on that deal, and it’s going to be difficult for the Suns to find a suitor who is willing to take on that hefty of a contract. Since the new CBA has come into effect, teams have been more stringent with spending, as we’ve seen several other teams with high-priced players — like the Chicago Bulls with Zach LaVine — struggle to trade them.
It’s an even more difficult situation for the Suns because of Beal’s veto power on any trade. Perhaps he’ll change his mind as we get closer to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, but the messaging from his camp seems to be that he has no intention of waiving that no-trade clause right now.
