The Phoenix Suns reportedly encountered limited interest in Bradley Beal's substantial $50 million cap hit while exploring trade possibilities for Jimmy Butler. According to sources, including ESPN analysts Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks expressed a willingness to consider acquiring Beal, contingent upon the waiver of his no-trade clause.

Originally, the Suns aimed to alleviate Beal's cap hit to facilitate the acceptance of Butler's $48.8 million contract, yet reports indicate that the Miami Heat were not inclined to engage in a straightforward one-for-one exchange for Beal. The Suns maintained hope for several weeks that either the Wizards or Hawks could ultimately embrace Beal's contract, potentially incentivized by sweeter trade packages. Nonetheless, it was the Golden State Warriors who successfully orchestrated a complex five-team trade to acquire Butler from the Heat.

While both the Hawks and Wizards were actively engaged in other trades at the deadline—Atlanta parting ways with De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović, and Washington moving Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas—neither team executed a trade involving Beal. Furthermore, uncertainties linger regarding whether Beal would have agreed to waive his no-trade clause for a move to either the Hawks or Warriors. Despite Beal having granted a no-trade waiver in the past to facilitate his departure from the Wizards, he continues to hold significant control over his future moves. Should Beal consider waiving this clause again before the 2025 deadline, he would still retain trade control for the remaining two seasons of his contract, valued at over $110 million. Previous reports have indicated that Beal's decision to maintain his no-trade clause was a pivotal issue for several team executives. Currently, the Suns appear set to retain both Beal and star forward Kevin Durant after attempting to explore trade scenarios for both athletes. Following reports of a challenging atmosphere in Phoenix, characterized as 'toxic' by Shelburne, the Suns must prioritize restoring team chemistry as trade rumors surrounding both players are likely to resurface during the offseason.