- Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns came off the bench for the first time in nine years on Monday night.
- The Suns’ star scored 25 points to lead the way in a 109-99 win over Philadelphia.
- Phoenix is rumored to be in the market for Miami’s Jimmy Butler, and Beal’s contract could make it work.
The Phoenix Suns are mired in a slump, having lost seven of their last 10 games. But they won on Monday night as the Suns beat Philadelphia 109-99 on the road.
Bradley Beal came off the bench to score 25 points, but he stated he was a starter. Are the Suns looking to grease the wheels for a Jimmy Butler trade?
Are Suns Trying to Unsettle Beal Amid Jimmy Butler Rumors?
The last time Bradley Beal came off the bench was January 13, 2016, as he was returning from a leg injury while with the Washington Wizards. However, this was a strategy by Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer, who was trying to shake up a team who was struggling.
Beal responded by going 10-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point land, and he was a team-high +14 in 30 minutes in his substitute role. But the Suns are on the list in the Jimmy Butler next team odds, and the timing seems suspicious that the Suns would decide to bench Beal now. It should be noted that center Jusuf Nurkic also went to the bench for Phoenix. After the game, Beal stated:
"If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards. Until I'm addressed and somebody says something different, then I'll be a Sun."
Coach made his decision. Live with it. It's kind of twofold. I'm a starter in the league. I firmly believe that. No disrespect to anybody, but I'm a starter…. Coach made a decision. I'm not going to sit there and argue with him. I'm not going to sit here and be a distraction."
If the Suns were to try to trade for Butler, Beal would almost certainly have to be involved in the deal. Beal’s salary of $50 million is more than Butler’s $48 million, and there would have to be draft picks involved. But Beal’s contract (via Washington) includes a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any moves.
Would the Heat Want Beal?
On the other end, would the Heat want Beal? They weren’t interested when the Wizards put Beal on the trade block in the summer of 2023, before Washington moved Beal to Phoenix. Beal also plays the same position as Tyler Herro, who is having a terrific season for the Heat. However, Heat coach Eric Spoelstra is arguably the best coach in the NBA right now, and he could figure it out.
There were also reports that Golden State and Houston, two of the front-runners for Butler at NBA betting sites, were out of the sweepstakes for the Heat star. Houston doesn’t want to break up a young core that is second in the Western Conference as of January 7. Golden State is also out of the mix as they would likely have to include Draymond Green.
That leaves Beal to the Heat, which wouldn’t be a terrible return. Beal is still averaging 18.3 points on 48.9% shooting, including 39.7% from beyond the arc. It’s just that he doesn’t do much else outside of score, and like Butler, Beal is injury-prone. He has already missed 10 games for the Suns this season, and hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since 2018-19.
Still, keep an eye on the news because the Heat are looking to make a move sooner than later, especially considering they suspended Butler for seven games. There should be a resolution in the coming weeks.
