The NBA trade deadline has passed, and the Phoenix Suns’ superstar trio—Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal—remains intact. Despite numerous trade rumors surrounding Beal, the Suns aggressively pursued a deal for Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, hoping he could help salvage their disappointing season. To make that trade work financially, they needed to move Beal, but his no-trade clause and lack of interest from teams prevented the deal.
Ultimately, Butler ended up joining the Golden State Warriors, leaving the Suns’ trio to finish the season in Phoenix. There were also reports that Phoenix was unexpectedly open to offers for Durant, though they ultimately decided to keep their star forward.
Limited Interest in Beal
While Phoenix couldn’t find a taker for Beal, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne revealed that only two teams showed any interest in acquiring the 31-year-old guard.
“Of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he’d waive his no-trade clause to go there,” Windhorst and Shelburne reported.
They further explained that the Suns held onto hope for weeks, believing that if they “could somehow improve their package to incentivize these teams to participate, and other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through, then maybe there would be a path to a deal.”
Although both Washington and Atlanta surprisingly entertained the idea of adding Beal, Phoenix was unable to persuade him to waive his no-trade clause. It had been widely reported that Beal would only waive it for a contending team, which neither the Wizards nor Hawks are.
Washington’s interest was particularly notable, as the team had previously traded Beal to Phoenix in 2023 after he spent 11 seasons with them.
With no trade materializing, the Suns’ core remains intact as they attempt to salvage their disappointing season and push for the playoffs
