Heats’ Shocking Trade Stance Send Shockwaves Through NBA: Heat Reject 3 Times All-Star in Proposed Deal
After officially requesting. trade, many expect the Miami Heat to move on from Jimmy Butler. The Texas native made it clear he is unhappy in Miami and wants a change of scenery. Immediately following his request, four potential suitors were named. These teams are the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks. However, as is the case with every trade, it takes two to tango. There may be multiple teams interested in trading for Butler, but the Heat also must be willing to make the same move. According to recent reports, there is one major player the Heat do not want in a potential Butler trade.
Per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (subscription required), the Heat have no interest in acquiring Suns guard Bradley Beal. Beal, who is now in his second second with the Suns, has three years remaining on his five-year, $251 million contract. He is the fifth-highest player in the league this season and is one of just a few players who have a no-trade clause. This, according to Chiang, makes Beal an undesirable target for the team.
“The Phoenix Suns are among the teams interested in trading for Butler, but the complication is that Suns guard Bradley Beal would very likely need to be involved in that deal to make the salary-cap math work. The Heat is not interested in acquiring Beal’s no-trade clause, meaning the Suns would need to find a third team to take Beal and Beal would also need to approve of being dealt to that team.”
Miami Heat ‘Not Interested’ In 3x All-Star In Potential Jimmy Butler Trade
Bradley Beal’s Disappointing Season So Far
Through 23 games, the three-time All-Star is averaging 17.8 points on 48% shooting. Additionally, he is averaging 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. While these numbers are not bad on the surface, they are very underwhelming given Beal’s contract. Furthermore, to make matters worse, the Suns have reportedly decided to move Beal to the bench for the time being. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Suns have also moved Jusuf Nurkic to the bench.
