Trade Rumors: Beal, Cavs, Pacers, Market Activity

Speaking this week to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Bradley Beal‘s agent Mark Bartelstein said reports of specific teams for which his client would waive his no-trade clause are “created out of thin air.”

Rumors this month have indicated that Sun guard would be open to destinations such as Miami, Denver, Milwaukee and Los Angeles, but Bartelstein did not confirm Beal’s interest in those locations. He also suggested that he and Beal wouldn’t turn down any options without thinking them through.

“I never operate in terms of absolutes, meaning we would never say there would never be a trade that you wouldn’t consider,” Bartelstein said. “You always keep an open mind, as everyone does in every aspect of their life, and so if something came along that you were really excited about, you always have to consider those things.”

Beal is considered a trade candidate because the Suns reportedly have serious interest in him Jimmy Butler and Beal’s inclusion in an outgoing package would be the only realistic way to make a deal work. But several recent reports have stated that Phoenix has not come to Beal to discuss any trade scenarios, and Bartelstein has repeatedly said his client’s focus is on getting his ankle healthy and helping Phoenix win games.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

• The Cavalier have conveyed that they are fine with the idea of ​​paying the luxury tax given how well the team is performing, but rival NBA executives are skeptical and eyeing Cleveland as a candidate to make a small salary-dumping deal before the deadline, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Cavs are currently operating just $1.7 million over the luxury tax line.
• Within his look at potential suitors for Brooklyn forward Cameron Johnson, Scott says the Pacers gets inquiries from teams around the NBA about several of their young players, including Benedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walkerand Ben Sheppard. After a 9-14 start, the Pacers have hit their stride over the past few months, winning 15 of their last 21 games, so it’s unclear if they’ll have an appetite for a deadline deal that shakes up their roster.
• According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter links), teams around the NBA believe the Butler game in Miami could delay some trade activity. “We’ve reached a deal in principle, but the other team could be in a four- or five-team trade involving Butler.” an assistant GM told Smith. “So they have to hold on now. So yeah, it’s going to be such a big deal that we’re all just going to have to wait.” The expectation is that the dam will break in the final days leading up to the deadline if there is no traction on a Butler deal by then, Smith adds.
• Smith released his 2025 trade deadline primer to Spotrac this week, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated its 2024/25 Board of Trade with Butler, Zach LaVineand Johnson at the top.