Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns could be headed towards a breakup this offseason.
The team was in pursuit of Jimmy Bulter leading up to last month’s NBA trade deadline, ESPN reported. Nothing ever materialized. Butler grew unhappy in Miami and the Heat ultimately included him in a blockbuster trade that sent him to the Golden State Warriors.
Beal does have a no-trade clause in his contract, which could have hindered any potential trade near the deadline. But if the Suns revisit moving Beal in the offseason, the three-time NBA All-Star appears to be open to the possibility.
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But Beal told ESPN that if he does leave Phoenix this summer, he prefers to land with a contender.
“I enjoy the game, man,” Beal said. “This game is fun. I try not to let nobody take the joy out of it for me. It’s very hard. It’s hard. We’re all human beings, man. We have every right to shut down. We have every right to question what’s going on. You have every right to say, ‘Why me?’ But I feel like that just drags you down a little bit more than you need.”
Beal also suggested that he still has plenty of reasons to smile.
“I’m still playing in the NBA, I still have the best job in the world, and I still have my no-trade clause. So I’m smiling every day.”
Beal is owed just over $110 million over the next two years.
He is averaging 17.6 points and 3.7 assists over 47 games so far this season. The Suns were off on Saturday, but entered the day in the eleventh spot in the Western Conference standings. If the NBA playoffs started today, the Suns would be on the outside looking in.
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