NBA insiders say one thing, agents say another. Yep, it’s definitely trade season.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Phoenix Suns — like most teams aiming to stay competitive — see themselves as buyers rather than sellers this season.
Meanwhile, the Jimmy Butler trade rumors have been as erratic as an EKG line: quiet one moment, then spiking with sudden developments. Yet, those talks always seem to loop back to Bradley Beal. I’ve pointed out before that Beal holds the keys to any move, and he’s made it clear he holds the cards as well. Nothing happens without his say-so. So, does it even matter if his name keeps coming up?
His name keeps coming up, despite the hefty $50.2 million contract he’s carrying…with two years left ($53.7 million next season and $57.1 million in 2026-27, the latter being a player option). And let’s not forget the shiny no-trade clause attached to it. Every time I look at that deal, I can’t help but think, Damn. What in the name of Jack Schitt were the Suns thinking when they took this on?
Want more rumors? Fine, here are more rumors.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Bradley Beal is indeed being discussed. He even confirmed it on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective. So, there you go. Straight from the Windy oracle.
“[The Chicago Bulls] are absolutely involved in conversations with the Suns involving possible Jimmy Butler situations…The bottom line is, is that the Bulls & the Phoenix Suns have talked on the concept of Bradley Beal ending up in Chicago…it’s been discussed.” – @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/cadg3VLa8O
— Dru (@dru_star) January 27, 2025
“The Bulls and the Suns have talked and the concept of Bradley Beal ending up in Chicago has been discussed,” Windhorst stayed. “I don’t I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m not saying it’s close or whatever. And obviously Beal has a no-trade clause. I just can’t believe that Chicago would do that deal. So maybe it’s never going to happen, but it’s been discussed.”
And this brings us back to the classic game of “Is It True or Not?”, a show I can’t help but imagine Bob Barker Gene Rayburn or hosting.
On one side, you’ve got NBA insiders claiming one thing; on the other, you’ve got management and agents saying the opposite. Case in point: Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, insisted just last week, “At this point, there has not been one conversation about a trade because, again, his focus has been on getting healthy and making it work in Phoenix.”
I can’t help but wonder what Phoenix’s strategy is here. Are they quietly reaching out to teams like Chicago to gauge the market for Beal? Have they sat down with Beal to let him know they’re considering moving him?
Windhorst suggests they’re actively shopping him, yet Beal’s camp insists no one has even spoken to him. That kind of disconnect is troubling. If the Suns hope to offload Beal’s massive contract, they need his buy-in. Skipping that step and doing all the legwork for a deal, only for him to veto it at the last minute, would be a colossal waste of time.
So, we wait. We wait to see if all this noise actually leads to something. If a deal gets done, would moving off Beal’s bloated contract count as a win? Absolutely. But that’s going to be harder that the Buffalo Bills beating the Kansas City Cheifs in a postseason game.
We’ve got 10 days until the NBA trade deadline. Ten more days of “he said, she said”. Ten more days of whispers, rumors, and speculative chatter. Ten more days of everyone trying to sound like they’ve got the inside scoop. Whether any of it turns into actual action? That’s anyone’s guess.