The Phoenix Suns reportedly would very much like to trade Bradley Beal, possibly for the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler, but Beal has a no-trade clause, which has loomed over any and all rumors involving Beal.

With his no-trade clause, Beal can effectively veto any trade that includes him for any reason. That has seemingly become a point of contention, especially with the Suns with a 19-20 record and having sunk to 11th in the Western Conference. Phoenix logically needs something to change, but Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, seems dismissive of that change being a Beal trade.

“Brad’s complete focus is on helping the Suns win, and getting their season turned around,” Bartelstein told The Athletic's Sam Amick. “Everything else put out there is nonsense.”

Notably, Mark Bartelstein is the father of Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein, a fact some pointed to as a key factor in the trade that shipped Beal from the Washington Wizards to Phoenix a year after he inked a record-setting $251 million deal.

While the Suns ostensibly went all-in with the Beal trade — they had previously acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets and signed Devin Booker to a $220.4 million extension — Phoenix has not experienced the success owner Mat Ishbia likely thought the team would at this point in his tenure.

After trading for Durant, parting ways with Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and numerous draft picks in the process, the Suns lost in the second round of the 2023 playoffs to the Denver Nuggets, the eventual NBA champions. Following that season, the Suns fired Monty Williams and hired former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel as his replacement.

The Suns improved their regular-season record from the previous season; despite struggling with injuries and adding Beal and center Jusuf Nurkic in the offseason, Phoenix went 49-33 and avoided the Play-In. Unfortunately, the Suns ran into the Minnesota Timberwolves, who dominated Phoenix in a 4-0 first-round sweep.

Phoenix, which fired Vogel to hire former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, got off to a hot start this season; the Suns were 9-2 after the first three weeks, thanks to a seven-game win streak. However, things began to fall apart in mid-November when they lost five in a row and seven of nine games. The results have not gotten much better, as since their 9-2 start, the Suns are 10-18, a mark even helped by winning four of their last six games.

While Beal has performed fine — he is averaging 17.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on shooting splits of .489/.388/.758 — the Suns are extremely limited in the moves they can make. Although they certainly could trade Booker or Durant, both of whom would very likely fetch more interest and greater returns if they were dealt, doing so would also signify an incoming rebuild.

Beal is earning $50.2 million this season and is slated for annual salaries of $53.7 million and $57.1 million over the next two seasons, provided he picks up the player option on the final year of his contract. Even if he waives his no-trade clause in order to be moved this season — the NBA trade deadline is Feb. 6 — he could keep it with his new team and retain the leverage it creates for himself.