Bradley Beal Discusses Move To Bench, Trade Rumors

Coming off the bench on Monday for the first time in almost nine years, Bradley Beal led Sun for their first win since Christmas Day, scoring a team-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting in 30 minutes of action vs. Philadelphia.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Beal said he doesn’t consider himself a bench player, but made it clear he has no intention of making waves by pushing back against the head coach. Mike Budenholzer‘s decision to make lineup changes.

“I’m a starter in the league. I firmly believe that,” Beal said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “No disrespect to anyone, but I’m a starter and that’s what I’m convinced of, but the coach made his decision. I don’t want to sit there and argue with him. I don’t want to sit here and be a distraction. I don’t want to sit here and be an a-hole. He made his decision. Gotta live with it.”

Despite coming off the bench, Beal logged the third-most minutes among Suns players on Monday, trailing only Devin Booker and Kevin Durantsuggesting that his workload may not change significantly even if he is not one of Phoenix’s first five players on the field.

Ryan DunnThe Suns’ talented rookie wing defender, stepped into the lineup in Beal’s place and was praised by his veteran teammate for how he handled the promotion, notes Rankin (Twitter video link).

“My first thought process was him,” Beal said. “He’s thrown into the fire and the mix of everything. He doesn’t really get to enjoy starting as a young rookie in the league. It’s huge. Everyone is so caught up in my s–t and what’s going on (with me). … I told him before the game, ‘Just lock in. Just be you. You don’t fail and be you.’ And he did, and I’m so proud of him.”

Beal’s comment about the media focusing on “my s–t and what’s going on” with him was presumably a reference not only to the fact that he was coming off the bench for the first time since March 2016, but also to the trade rumors swirling around him.

Reports are continuously linked Heat forward Jimmy Butler to the Suns, with Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) quotes executives saying Butler’s camp has signaled strongly that Phoenix is ​​his “desired destination.” Beal would almost certainly have to be included in any deal for Butler due to the Suns’ restrictions at second base. It is crucial that he also approves the deal, as he has a no-trade clause.

“(The Suns) are absolutely trying to trade Bradley Beal,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a First Take appearance Tuesday (YouTube link). “… So they put him on the bench. Now you can say, ‘Why would you do that? If you’re trying to trade a player, why would you bench him?’ And that’s because…the only way they can trade him is if he says, ‘I’m okay with being traded.’ So instead of trying to build him up, they have to violate the cardinal rule (of increasing a player’s trade value) and bench him.

“Now I know there were schematic reasons why they did that and Mike Budenholzer tried to explain. But they’re basically trying to make him feel unwelcome in Phoenix so he’ll waive the no-trade clause .”

While there is a belief that Beal would sign a trade to Miami, the Heat reportedly have no interest in acquiring him due to his no-trade clause and the two years and $111MM remaining on his deal after this season . That means if the Suns want to land Butler, they’ll have to find a third team willing to take on Beal and his massive contract.

Asked after Monday’s game if he believes the demotion to the bench is related to a potential trade, Beal reminded reporters that he will have a say in that process.

“If so, I must be prosecuted because I have the cards,” Beal said, according to Rankin. “Until I’m prosecuted and someone says otherwise, I’ll be a sun.”