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Bradley Beal Discusses Move To Bench, Trade Rumors

January 7th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off the bench on Monday for the first time in nearly nine years, Bradley Beal led the Suns to their first victory 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 doesn’t intend to make waves by pushing back against 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 anybody, but I’m a starter and that’s what I firmly believe, but Coach made his decision. I’m not going to sit there and argue with him. I’m not going to sit here and be a distraction. I’m not going to sit here and be an a–hole. He made his decision. Got to live with it.”

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

Ryan Dunn, the Suns’ talented rookie wing defender, stepped into the lineup in Beal’s place, and was lauded 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 in the fire and the mix of everything. He doesn’t really get to enjoy starting as a young rookie in the league. That’s big. Everybody is so caught up in my s–t and whatever is going on (with me). … I told him before the game, ‘Just lock in. Just be you. Keep playing the way you’ve been playing. You ain’t doing nothing wrong. Stay locked in and be you.’ And he did that and I’m so proud of him.”

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

Reports have continually linked Heat forward Jimmy Butler to the Suns, with Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) citing executives who say that Butler’s camp has been strongly signaling that Phoenix is his “one desired destination.” Beal would almost certainly have to be included in any deal for Butler due to the Suns’ second-apron restrictions. Crucially, he’d also have to approve the deal, since he holds a no-trade clause.

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

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

While there’s a belief that Beal would sign off on 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 left on his deal beyond 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’ll have a say in that process.

“If so, I need to be addressed because I hold the cards,” Beal said, according to Rankin. “Until I’m addressed and somebody says something different, then I’ll be a Sun.”

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson To Return On Tuesday

January 7th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been upgraded to available for Tuesday’s game in New Orleans vs. the Timberwolves, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Williamson, who was previously listed as questionable, has been sidelined since November 6 and has missed the Pelicans’ past 27 games while recovering from a left hamstring strain.

New Orleans, which also dealt with several other injuries to starters and rotation players during that time, lost 23 of those first 25 contests during Williamson’s absence before defeating the Wizards on Friday and Sunday for their first two-game winning streak since the first week of the regular season.

With a 7-29 record, the Pelicans are 11 games back of the 10th-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference standings and are no longer a realistic contender for a postseason spot.

Still, they’re on the verge of getting nearly all of their most important players back in the lineup, with only Brandon Ingram (ankle) still affected by an injury more longer-term than day-to-day. The team announced two weeks ago that Ingram would be reevaluated around this time.

Williamson has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings.

The former No. 1 overall pick figures to be on a minutes restriction on Tuesday, and I wouldn’t necessarily count on him being available on Wednesday vs. Portland in the second end of the Pelicans’ back-to-back set.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 7th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

When word broke last Thursday that Jimmy Butler had informed the Heat he wants to be traded, a report from ESPN indicated that the star forward was open to playing anywhere besides Miami. However, it doesn’t sound as if Butler’s camp is sticking to that stance.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link), multiple teams – including the Grizzlies – have “received word” that Butler isn’t interested in joining them and have been advised not to pursue the 35-year-old. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) has heard rumblings that the Bucks may also be included in that group.

Butler doesn’t have the ability to veto a trade, and the Heat will be seeking the deal that makes the most sense for the organization, so there’s nothing stopping Memphis or another team not on Butler’s list of preferred destinations from rolling the dice on him.

However, as Haynes observes, Butler’s ability to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end by declining his $52.4MM player option gives him some leverage. A potential suitor would be reluctant to sacrifice valuable assets for Butler without being reasonably confident that the six-time All-Star would be more than a rest-of-season rental — especially since the veteran has made it clear he’s willing to make things uncomfortable if he’s not happy.

The Suns, Warriors, Mavericks, and Rockets were reported last month to be the landing spots on Butler’s wish list. It’s unclear whether that list has expanded at all in recent weeks. As I wrote earlier today in our latest Front Office article, the Grizzlies are one team that would make sense as a fit, given the strength of their roster, their cap situation, their available trade assets, and their desire to add a defensive-minded wing.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also provided an update on the Butler situation during Tuesday’s episode of First Take (Twitter video link). Noting that Butler has long conveyed his intent to become a free agent after this season, Windhorst says teams are hesitant to give up significant trade chips to acquire him, given his contract situation and salary expectations.

“Jimmy Butler isn’t going to extend with any team. And so because teams know that, they’re offering the Heat right now the pu-pu platter,” Windhorst said. “There is only one team that is ready to pay Jimmy Butler exactly what he wants, and that is the Phoenix Suns. And you know why that’s fascinating? Because of the 29 other teams that are out there that could trade for Jimmy Butler, the team that he wants to go to, which is Phoenix, is the team that has the hardest time trading for him.”

As we’ve discussed multiple times in recent weeks, there’s mutual interest between Butler and the Suns, but Phoenix would almost certainly have to send out Bradley Beal to acquire Butler due to the team’s second-apron restrictions.

Beal has a no-trade clause and is on a maximum-salary contract that is widely viewed as an albatross, given that he’s still owed nearly $111MM over two years after this season. The Heat reportedly have zero interest in acquiring the veteran guard, so a third team (that he’d be willing to go to) would be necessary, and the Suns likely lack the draft assets to incentivize both the Heat and that third team to make a deal.

“We’re at a genuine stalemate,” Windhorst continued. “I don’t know how it’s going to play out. The Heat are preparing internally for this to last past (Butler’s seven-game) suspension, not because they’ve got some sort of sinister motive, but because they know what offers they’ve gotten and they stink. And so that’s where we’re at now.”

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) that the Heat have yet to be presented with an offer for Butler that’s particularly tempting or that they’ve strongly considered.

Here are a few more Butler-related items:

In a full story for The Herald, Jackson takes a look at why Butler’s escalation in pushing for a trade may not be in either his or Miami’s best interest.
The Heat haven’t looked good in the first two games of Butler’s suspension — they were blown out at home by a lottery-bound Jazz team on Saturday and blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead against the Kings on Monday before losing in overtime. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, Miami is now outside the top eight in the Eastern Conference and is increasingly at risk of an unwanted outcome with its traded first-round picks. If the Heat make the playoffs this season, they’d send the Thunder their 2025 first-rounder and would owe the Hornets their 2027 first-rounder with lottery protection, whereas missing the playoffs and keeping their 2025 pick would mean they owe Oklahoma City their 2026 pick and Charlotte their 2028 pick without protections. While it’s possible that latter scenario could ultimately work out for the best, it would increase the risk of the team having to give up a high first-rounder.
Heat captain Bam Adebayo admitted that the Butler saga has been an “emotional roller coaster” for the team in recent days, as Winderman details in another Sun Sentinel story.

Raptors Waive Bruno Fernando

January 7th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

10:11 am: The Raptors have officially waived Fernando, tweets Murphy.

7:25 am: The Raptors are waiving big man Bruno Fernando, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Fernando is on a non-guaranteed contract, so cutting him on Tuesday will ensure Toronto isn’t on the hook for his full-season salary.

Fernando, who signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Raptors in August after previously suiting up for the Hawks, Celtics, and Rockets, was sparingly used during the first half of this season even though centers Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl both missed some time due to injuries.

Fernando appeared in 17 games for Toronto, making two starts. He averaged 3.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 8.6 minutes per contest.

The language in Fernando’s non-guaranteed contract initially called for his full $2,425,403 salary to be locked in if he made the Raptors’ opening night roster. However, the two sides agreed to amend the deal, pushing back the salary guarantee date to the league-wide deadline of January 7.

If Fernando hadn’t agreed to adjust the terms of his deal, he likely would’ve been released before earning any of his $2.43MM salary. Instead, he’ll end up making $1,115,128, a prorated portion of his minimum deal.

That’s also the cap charge the Raptors will carry on their books for the 26-year-old, assuming he’s not claimed on waivers. A waiver claim would ensure Fernando’s full salary becomes guaranteed and would take Toronto off the hook for his cap hit, but it’s an unlikely outcome.

According to Grange, the expectation is that the Raptors will maintain some flexibility with their 15th roster spot for now, perhaps auditioning players on 10-day contracts. That opening could come in handy at the trade deadline to accommodate certain deals. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet observes (via Twitter), it could also potentially be used later in the season to promote two-way player Jamison Battle to the standard roster.

As for Fernando’s next step, the veteran center is considered a potential target for the Turkish club Fenerbahce, which has been in the market for frontcourt help, notes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Exploring a deal with the EuroLeague powerhouse could be an appealing option for Fernando if he doesn’t get an offer from an NBA team right away.

Pistons Sign Ron Harper Jr., Tolu Smith To Two-Way Deals

January 6th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JANUARY 6, 4:03pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith and Harper and placed Williams and Swider on waivers, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).

JANUARY 5, 8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).

Smith, a 6’11” rookie forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp and has been playing for the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season NBAGL games and also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.

Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.

To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.

Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.

JANUARY 5, 7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.

Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He has averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games and also played 11 games in the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament.

Harper went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. He only appeared in six games in the G League last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.

Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.

With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper will give Detroit more depth at the guard spots.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, Pistons

January 6th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams having ongoing discussions about the possibility of a Jimmy Butler trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).

Gambadoro notes that the Heat are exploring their options and weighing whether it makes more sense to trade Butler now or in the offseason via sign-and-trade (or possibly opt-in and trade).

Memphis has been a popular subject of speculation as a Butler destination in recent days, since the Grizzlies have a deep roster, all of their own draft picks, and multiple sizable contracts that are relatively team-friendly. They’re also known to be in the market for a defensive-minded wing, having been linked to Dorian Finney-Smith (before he was traded to the Lakers) and Cameron Johnson.

In a subscriber-only article, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian explores what a Grizzlies trade for Butler might look like, though he cautions that he’s skeptical about the idea and refers to it as unlikely.

It would be more difficult for Milwaukee to make a move for Butler, since the Bucks are operating about $6.5MM over the second apron and don’t have a single player whose salary matches or exceeds Butler’s $48.8MM cap hit. The Bucks would only be permitted to aggregate salaries in a trade if they move below the second apron upon the conclusion of the transaction and leave themselves with enough room below the second apron to eventually get back to the required minimum of 14 players.

Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that would likely mean starting with a package of Khris Middleton and MarJon Beauchamp and adding either Brook Lopez or – more likely – both Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton. A third-team facilitator would also be necessary, since the Heat can’t take back more salary than they send out. And all three teams would have to agree on draft-pick compensation.

Even if the Bucks could figure it out, it would mean giving up multiple key rotation players in exchange for one, further depleting their depth.

Here’s more on Butler:

Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause “looms large” in the Suns‘ pursuit of Butler, according to Gambadoro (Twitter link), who says he’s heard the veteran guard would approve a deal to the Heat, Nuggets, or Los Angeles (presumably either the Lakers or Clippers). Beal may also ultimately decide there are a few other destinations that would work for him, Gambadoro adds. Given his massive contract and declining production, any club Beal approves would seek significant sweeteners and would probably want him to remove his no-trade clause going forward. Miami has zero interest in him, per multiple reports.
There has been some chatter about the idea of the Pistons taking on Beal in a trade that sends Butler to the Suns (and Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami), given Jaden Ivey‘s leg injury, Detroit’s cap room, and various connections – familial and otherwise – between the Pistons’ and Suns’ front offices. Gambadoro tweets that it doesn’t make much sense to him that the Pistons would want Beal unless they were heavily incentivized to take him, but says he needs to do more digging on that subject.
Even if Beal were to waive his no-trade clause for Detroit (hardly a lock), I share Gambadoro’s skepticism about the appeal for the Pistons. While it’s true Detroit could use a short-term Ivey replacement, Beal’s maximum-salary contract is worth nearly $111MM across two more seasons beyond this one, and Phoenix probably doesn’t have enough tradable draft assets to sufficiently sweeten the pot for both the Heat and Pistons.
In a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance (Streamable audio link), Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel confirms that there are three- and four-team scenarios involving Butler and Beal being explored. Winderman also wonders if the Suns’ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup is at least in part about nudging him to be more open about waiving his no-trade clause.

Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum Named Players Of The Week

January 6th, 2025 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The two perennial MVP candidates are the first two repeat Player of the Week winners for the 2024/25 season. Tatum was named the East’s Player of the Week on October 28, while Jokic earned the honor in the West on November 11.

Jokic led the Nuggets to a 3-1 record during the week of Dec. 30-Jan. 5, putting up an incredible triple-double average of 36.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 11.3 assists in those four outings. He had back-to-back 40+ point performances against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, including a 41-point, 18-rebound effort in Friday’s loss.

Tatum’s numbers over the course of a 3-1 week for Boston weren’t quite so gaudy. The star forward averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.8 minutes per night, leading the Celtics to victories over Toronto, Minnesota, and Houston before falling on Sunday to Oklahoma City.

Jokic beat out fellow nominees Anthony Davis, LeBron James, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Wembanyama for the Western Conference award, per the NBA (Twitter link). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Joel Embiid, Darius Garland, Tyrese Haliburton, and Coby White were the other nominees in the East.

Kyrie Irving Expected To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks With Back Injury

January 6th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who report that the veteran guard is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks.

There’s optimism that treatment in the coming days will help provide clarity on a return timeline for Irving, sources tell Charania and MacMahon.

While Irving’s injury doesn’t sound serious, it will leave the Mavericks extra short-handed for their next few games. The team is already expected to be without superstar guard Luka Doncic until at least late January due to a left calf strain. With Irving also sidelined, Dallas will be missing a combined 52.4 points per game from its two backcourt stars.

Since Doncic went down in the Christmas Day game, the Mavs are 1-4, having defeated the Suns in Phoenix on December 27 before losing their next four games. Irving missed two of those contests.

The Mavs will be in Memphis on Monday before returning to Dallas for a four-game home stand that features matchups with the Lakers (Tuesday), Trail Blazers (Thursday), and Nuggets (twice, on Jan. 12 and 14). If Irving is out for two weeks, he’ll miss all of those games as well as contests vs. the Pelicans and Thunder before potentially having a chance to return on Jan. 20 in Charlotte.

With guards Doncic, Irving, and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all unavailable, the Mavs figure to lean more heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy, and Quentin Grimes. Two-way guard Brandon Williams also played 20 minutes in each of the two games Irving missed in the past week and could reenter the rotation.

Heat Expect Jimmy Butler To Play If He Isn’t Traded

January 6th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat expect Jimmy Butler to resume playing after his seven-game suspension is over if he hasn’t been traded by then, a source close to the situation tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Management isn’t willing to let Butler stay away from the team and collect the remainder of his $48.8MM salary, Chiang adds.

Chiang’s source also says Miami has engaged in trade talks about Butler with numerous teams over the past several days, but hasn’t received an offer worth pursuing. He confirms that the Suns are among those expressing interest, but the Heat have no interest in taking on Bradley Beal because of the no-trade clause in his contract. That means a third team would have to be willing to absorb Beal’s $50.2MM salary and he would have to OK the deal.

Even though he’s suspended, Butler is able to work out at the team’s Kaseya Center facilities while the Heat are on a six-game road trip, Chiang adds. He’ll be eligible to return to the court for a January 17 home game against Denver.

Efforts to find a taker for Butler have been complicated by Miami’s desire to take back the lowest possible amount of guaranteed salary beyond this season, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). That has led to pessimism about finding a deal quickly, especially with the Warriors reportedly no longer interested.

Stein also points out that missing the playoffs would be “legitimately disastrous” for the Heat, which may explain the motivation to keep playing Butler if no trade materializes. If Miami doesn’t reach the postseason, its 2026 first-round pick would be sent to Oklahoma City without any protections.

That pick was originally shipped to the Clippers in the four-team sign-and-trade deal that brought Butler to the Heat in 2019, Stein explains, and the Thunder acquired it in 2022. If the Heat reach the playoffs this season, OKC will get Miami’s 2025 first-rounder, which would fall outside the top 14. If the Heat are in the lottery, the unprotected first-rounder would convey in 2026.

Stein also points out that Miami owes a first-round pick to Charlotte from last season’s trade for Terry Rozier. Because of the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading their first-rounders in back-to-back years, if the Oklahoma City pick conveys in 2026, the pick to the Hornets will be tied up until 2028, reducing the Heat’s flexibility moving forward.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also offers an update on Butler trade talks (video link), saying the Heat “don’t like their hand at all right now.” Sources tell Windhorst that Pat Riley‘s declaration last month that the team wasn’t interested in trading Butler came after several offers were received that were unsatisfactory. Windhorst adds that rival clubs seem to be testing Miami to see how low it is willing to sell Butler.

He notes that the only exception has been the Suns, whom he cites as the “best fit and most aggressive team” in the Butler pursuit. However, the Heat’s lack of interest in Beal is a major roadblock, and it’s very difficult to put together a three- or four-team deal under current CBA restrictions.

Windhorst still expects Butler to be traded somewhere before the deadline, but he states that Miami is operating from a position of weakness.

Suns Making Major Changes To Starting Lineup

January 6th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns will remove Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic from their starting lineup, beginning with tonight’s game at Philadelphia, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). Rookie Ryan Dunn and backup big man Mason Plumlee will take their spots.

The move comes amid a four-game losing streak that has seen Phoenix drop into the 12th spot in the Western Conference at 15-18. The veteran roster has been vastly underperforming since starting the season at 9-2.

The downturn has led to dissension behind the scenes, according to Haynes.

“There is also tension in that locker room,” he said. “I’m told certain players are unsure of their roles and frustrated with how they’re being used. The coaching staff, they’re still trying to figure things out.”

Beal, 31, is averaging 17.8 points per game in his second season in Phoenix, but his shooting numbers have declined from .513/.430/.813 last year to .480/.392/.760 through 23 games. He has missed time with various physical ailments and hasn’t turned into the dependable scorer the Suns were hoping when they acquired him in a trade with Washington during the summer of 2023.

It’s possible the demotion might make Beal more likely to waive his no-trade clause for a fresh start somewhere else. His $50.2MM salary could theoretically be useful in bringing Jimmy Butler to Phoenix if he’s willing to change teams again, but the Heat reportedly aren’t interested in taking on Beal’s contract, which will pay him $53.6MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27.

Nurkic, 30, has started all 23 games he has played this season, but he’s averaging just 8.8 points per night — his lowest mark in eight years — along with 9.5 rebounds. He’s making $18.1MM and has one more year left on his contract at $19.4MM.

The Suns may prefer to part with both players before the February 6 trade deadline in hopes of creating a younger roster, but their options are limited because of second-apron restrictions. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate contracts in a potential deal.

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