Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is one of the most actively mentioned players ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, as the Suns desperately look for ways to offload Beal and land Jimmy Butler. They need a third team to accept Beal’s supermax contract with a no-trade clause as Butler’s Miami Heat refuse to take that on.
The Chicago Bulls emerged as a potential destination for Beal over the last few days, but that speculation has been instantly shot down with The Athletic reporting that Beal has no interest in joining a losing franchise in a cold-weather city.
“Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will not waive his no-trade clause to go to the Chicago Bulls, a source familiar with the three-time All-Star’s thinking told The Athletic.”
“There are destinations Beal would consider approving. As The Athletic reported last week, going to a winning team would be his first priority. However, cold-weather cities, including Chicago, are less attractive to him, the source said. If a team has a losing record and a chilly winter, it won’t be on Beal’s list. Of course, this complicates the Suns’ pursuit of Butler.”
It was always far-fetched to assume that Beal would waive his no-trade clause for a team like the Bulls. Given that he has all the leverage until his contract expires in 2027, it’s almost impossible to find a team that would want to take on his ascending supermax contract, entitling him to $53.6 million next season and $57.1 million in 2026-27.
If not the Bulls, it’s hard to see which teams would even take on Beal. None of the warm-weather cities need an overpaid shooting guard who’s past his prime and could ruin any salary flexibility for a competitive team. He might as well stick it out in Phoenix even though the fan hate in recent weeks is already affecting his family.
Beal is averaging 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this season. Which NBA team would want to take on a score-first guard who’s averaging under 20 points and is on a supermax contract with a no-trade clause? It just doesn’t seem realistic, which is why the Suns have been trying to exhaust all their options to make a trade feasible.
The Milwaukee Bucks made it clear they don’t want Beal, joining an expanding list of teams also including the Heat. With Beal himself also ruling destinations out, the Suns are going to be sweating their way to next week’s trade deadline with the hopes they can find some way to make this deal a reality.
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