According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks were the only teams open to the idea of acquiring Bradley Beal from the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns had actively explored potential trade options for Beal over several weeks, aiming to land Jimmy Butler in return, while reaching out to teams across the league.
Phoenix’s strategy involved improving their trade offer to entice other teams to facilitate a deal for Butler. They remained optimistic that a workable trade scenario might emerge if the Wizards or Hawks saw their other negotiations collapse.
However, any trade involving Beal required his approval due to a no-trade clause in his contract, which meant Beal had the final say. Reports indicated he was inclined toward relocating to a warm-weather market.
Following the trade deadline, Windhorst mentioned on his podcast that one of the key challenges Phoenix faced was that the draft picks they could offer weren’t enough to convince other teams to absorb the financial burden of acquiring Beal.
Wizards, Hawks Were Only Teams Willing To Acquire Bradley Beal https://t.co/L71snwlRGf
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 7, 2025
