Bradley Beal

Warriors Shift Focus Back To Jimmy Butler

February 5th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting word that Kevin Durant was opposed to the idea of reuniting with Golden State, the Warriors have opted to move on to other trade targets, ending their pursuit of the Suns forward, Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic confirm, echoing earlier reports.

According to Amick and Slater, the Warriors were willing to make a substantial offer for Durant and might have been in position to land him if he’d been even lukewarm on the possibility of coming back to the Bay Area, but they didn’t want to risk having to deal with a disgruntled KD.

On the subject of disgruntled stars, Amick and Slater say it’s still up in the air whether the Warriors will get back in the mix for Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who has also made it clear he’s not enthusiastic about the idea of being traded to Golden State.

However, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Warriors have indeed shifted their focus back to trying to acquire Butler.

Golden State’s pursuit of Butler has seemingly been on and off again for the better part of a month. Shortly after the 35-year-old formally requested a trade, reports indicated that the Warriors didn’t plan to seek out a deal for him, but they exhibited renewed interest last week when the Heat’s asking price reportedly dropped.

Although ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said over the weekend that the Warriors were once again backing off Butler after he communicated that he wasn’t interested in signing an extension with the team, reports this week have suggested that Golden State was never fully out of the hunt. With Durant seemingly off the table, it makes sense that the Warriors would once again circle back to the Heat star.

As has been the case for weeks, the Suns and Warriors appear to be the frontrunners for Butler. Phoenix has been unable to work out a deal structured around Bradley Beal due to his no-trade clause and pricey contract, but if the Suns are willing to consider the idea of trading Durant to Miami for Butler, the Heat would certainly be interested, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

A swap along those lines would likely require Miami to attach a handful of sweeteners (draft picks, young players, etc.) to entice Phoenix — a third team may also still be necessary due to the Suns’ and Heat’s apron-related restrictions.

A Warriors offer for Butler would likely be centered around Andrew Wiggins, expiring contracts, and draft assets. Dennis Schröder‘s expiring deal (worth $13MM) would probably be part of Golden State’s package, according to Stein (Twitter link).

A team source tells The Athletic that the Warriors remain “determined” to get something done before Thursday’s deadline, so if they miss out on Butler, they could end up pivoting to a secondary target such as Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram or Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.

Regarding Ingram, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) says the Pelicans have gained some traction on potential deals involving the star forward. Fischer and Stein have reported that the Raptors and Hawks are among the teams talking to New Orleans about Ingram.

As for Vucevic, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links) has heard that the Warriors aren’t sure about pursuing the big man at Chicago’s asking price, but suggests a deal remains possible if Golden State can’t land a bigger-name target and/or the Bulls’ price comes down.

Latest On Kevin Durant

February 5th, 2025 at 7:34am CST by Luke Adams

As Thursday’s trade deadline approaches, trade rumors involving Suns forward Kevin Durant continue to percolate. Reporting on Monday indicated that the Warriors were eyeing Durant, with a story on Tuesday suggesting that the Mavericks and Rockets may also be in the mix.

There had been no real indication prior to this week that Durant would be available at the trade deadline, but it sounds like the Suns could be wavering on that stance.

Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link), and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) are among the reporters who have suggested in recent days that there’s a rising belief around the NBA that a Durant deal is a possibility.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) echoed that sentiment late on Tuesday night, citing sources who say that the Suns have talked to teams besides Golden State about Durant and seem more open to discussing the star forward than they’ve ever been in the past.

Still, Stein and Fischer aren’t sure that Houston and Dallas should be considered serious suitors for Durant at this point. Stein suggests the Rockets still don’t appear particularly motivated to shake up their roster with a major in-season move before assessing how their young core performs in the postseason. The Rockets seem more inclined to use their flexibility below the luxury tax line to participate as a facilitator in multi-team trades, Stein writes.

As for the Mavs, they don’t look realistically positioned to make a move for another maximum-salary player like Durant this week after completing a Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal over the weekend. According to Stein and Fischer, there was “no tangible expectation” in Dallas as of Tuesday night that the Mavs would be a major player in any Durant sweepstakes. The Stein Line duo believes the team will focus this season on integrating Davis and then potentially explore another major trade in the summer.

One reason there has been an increase in trade chatter surrounding Durant, sources tell Stein and Fischer, is that it’s believed to be the only way the Suns could realistically acquire Heat forward Jimmy Butler. A package headlined by Bradley Beal has been Phoenix’s preferred route to a Butler deal, but a number of factors – including Beal’s no-trade clause, his unwieldy contract, and the Suns’ lack of sweeteners – have made that path a non-starter.

The sources whom Stein and Fischer spoke to couldn’t offer a great answer when asked why the Suns would want to add Butler while giving up Durant, but that scenario does seem to be in play. Gambadoro (Twitter link) says he talked to one team that believes Durant will end up in Golden State, with Butler headed to Phoenix.

Presumably, if the Suns were to trade Durant in a Butler deal, they’d also be able to extract multiple other assets from the Warriors (or whichever team landed Durant), whereas a Beal-for-Butler trade would require Phoenix to be the team adding several extra assets to get it done. Those additional assets could help the Suns make upgrades elsewhere on the roster.

It’s worth noting that Durant ($51.2MM) doesn’t have a significantly higher cap hit than Butler ($48.8MM) and the Suns are a second-apron team unable to aggregate salaries or take back more than $51.2MM in non-minimum contracts for Durant. That means the Suns’ ability to take on additional contracts beyond Butler’s in that sort of multi-team deal would be limited unless they sent out another player or two.

Along those lines, Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reported on Tuesday (via Twitter) that the Suns and Wizards had momentum on a trade that would involve Jusuf Nurkic and Jonas Valanciunas. Gambadoro (Twitter link) followed up to say that it’s not a done deal and would likely only happen if it’s attached to a bigger trade, adding that Phoenix isn’t really interested in Valanciunas.

This is purely my speculation, but if the Suns were to tie Nurkic to a Durant/Butler trade, bringing in more teams, it’d be a way for them to add more players using Nurkic’s $18.1MM outgoing contract without requiring aggregation.

For instance, Jonathan Kuminga‘s $7.6MM salary and Valanciunas’ $9.9MM salary would both fit within that $18.1MM limit. Valanciunas could even be flipped to Golden State in that scenario, with one of the Warriors’ other outgoing players sent to Phoenix. But again, that’s just a hypothetical for now.

Mavs, Rockets Interested In Kevin Durant

February 4th, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could the Mavericks pull off another trade shocker before Thursday’s deadline?

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, David Aldridge and Anthony Slater, the Mavericks are hopeful of adding Kevin Durant to form a new superstar trio alongside his former Nets teammate Kyrie Irving and newly-acquired Anthony Davis.

The Athletic’s reporters caution that a Durant deal this week to Dallas is unlikely but the Mavs’ interest demonstrates the approach of general manager Nico Harrison, who appears to be targeting big-time stars he knows well from his Nike days, with the aim of winning a championship ASAP.

The Rockets, who are known to covet Suns guard Devin Booker, are also contemplating a run at Durant, per The Athletic. While the Rockets have a young, seemingly sustainable core, adding an impact player like Durant might vault them into true title contender status this season. Houston currently has the West’s third-best record.

As reported on Monday, the Warriors are also in pursuit of Durant but thus far the Suns have set an exorbitant asking price in exploratory talks. According to Amick, Aldridge, and Slater, one of the players the Suns want in return is Draymond Green, who starred at owner Mat Ishbia’s alma mater, Michigan State. The Suns also have a level of interest in forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent after the season.

The Suns remain Jimmy Butler‘s preferred destination but talks with the Heat have stalled because Miami doesn’t want Bradley Beal in return. Beal, who anticipates remaining with Phoenix past the deadline, per The Athletic, would have to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt.

Trading Durant could provide an alternate pathway for Phoenix to enhance its offer to Miami for Butler, according to Amick, Aldridge, and Slater, who hear from league sources that the Suns’ messaging about how willing they are to move Durant varies from team to team.

Interestingly, the Suns list Durant as doubtful to play on Wednesday against OKC due to an ankle sprain, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. It could be construed as a way to ensure Durant’s health as Phoenix pursues deadline deals, though Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports notes (via Twitter) that the star forward did turn his ankle in overtime on Monday.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

February 4th, 2025 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier this week that Jimmy Butler communicated to the Warriors that he’s not interested in signing an extension with them, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Tuesday during a TV appearance on Get Up (YouTube link) that the Heat forward remains laser-focused on getting to Phoenix.

“He is trying so hard to force his way to the Suns,” Windhorst said. “He has had several other opportunities where he could have gone, including the Warriors, who were willing to give him a contract extension. And he said, ‘No, send me to Phoenix.'”

While the fact that Phoenix is Butler’s preferred destination has been widely reported for weeks, the 35-year-old’s camp appears to be pushing back on the idea that he’s telling other teams he’s not willing to sign with them.

Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) that Butler’s camp has repeatedly conveyed to the Heat that he’s healthy, in shape, and ready to continue his career. According to Haynes, their message to the team has been to negotiate the best deal possible, and if the Heat are nearing an agreement and that trade partner is granted permission by Miami to speak with Butler’s agent to discuss his future, that conversation would be “welcomed.”

To date, Haynes says, no team has requested permission to have that discussion to Butler’s agent.

For what it’s worth, Windhorst reported nearly a month ago that the Suns were the only team “ready to pay (Butler) exactly what he wants,” which is believed to be the primary reason why Phoenix is atop his wish list.

Here’s more on Butler:

Later on in his Tuesday appearance on Get Up (YouTube link), during a conversation about the Warriors’ search for a star, Windhorst suggested that a package of Andrew Wiggins and draft assets hasn’t gotten Golden State very far in most of its trade discussions. However, he thinks that could be enough to land Butler if the Heat can’t agree to terms with the Suns. “I will say this, I think Miami was willing to do that deal and they were willing to do that deal for Jimmy Butler,” Windhorst said. “So let’s see if by Thursday that gets revisited. Jimmy Butler didn’t want it, and because he’s got an option on his contract, he has some measure of control.”
Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald break down why the Heat aren’t interested in taking back Bradley Beal‘s contract in a Butler deal with the Suns, exploring how having that deal on the books would hamper the team’s flexibility going forward.
In a separate story for The Herald, Jackson and Chiang take a closer look at why the Heat feel some level of urgency to close the books on the Butler drama this week. As The Herald’s duo writes, if Butler remains on the roster through Thursday’s deadline and continues to push for a deal to Phoenix, it could result in him picking up his $52MM option for 2025/26, since the Suns will still be operating over the tax aprons and won’t be permitted to acquire a player via sign-and-trade.

Bradley Beal Reluctant To Change Teams Again

February 3rd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There have been reports that it would take a contending team in a warm-weather city for Bradley Beal to consider waiving his no-trade clause, but there’s another reason he prefers to remain in Phoenix, according to Fred Katz, Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

A source familiar with Beal’s thinking tells the authors that he doesn’t want to uproot his family again less than two years after being traded to the Suns. Since that deal was made, the family moved from Washington to Los Angeles before finding a home in Phoenix. Another trade would either mean moving again or playing out the rest of the season away from his wife and their two children.

The source informs Katz, Amick and Nehm that Beal would approve a trade to a handful of cities, but the list is short. His priority is being with a contender, and although he doesn’t like the cold, he’s willing to accept it to get to the right situation.

The authors cite a report from last week that Beal wouldn’t be willing to accept a trade to the Bulls, who offer both cold weather and a remote chance to reach the playoffs. As they point out, that’s the dilemma for the Suns, who are hoping to find a taker for Beal’s contract so they can complete a trade for Jimmy Butler. Any team willing to pay Beal more than $110MM over the next two seasons is likely to be in the midst of rebuilding.

Katz, Amick and Nehm add that Beal would be interested in going to Miami, but the Heat don’t want him because of his salary, the multiple years left on his deal, and his no-trade clause. Once Butler is gone, Miami will be focused on creating cap room for a stellar free agent class in 2026.

The Suns are still considered to be the most aggressive suitor for Butler, but Beal’s situation may be too difficult to solve by Thursday’s trade deadline.

Warriors Halt Jimmy Butler Trade Talks

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cross the Warriors off the list of potential Jimmy Butler suitors, at least for now.

Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link). In response, trade talks between the Heat and Warriors have halted, according to Windhorst.

The Warriors are reportedly interested in making a significant move before the trade deadline and Butler was one of the logical candidates to fulfill that goal. However, it’s well-known that Butler wants to be dealt to the Suns, who are hamstrung in making a blockbuster move because they’re operating over the second tax apron.

The only way Phoenix can complete such a deal to allow Butler to join forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant would be to send out Bradley Beal‘s contract. Miami hasn’t shown any interest in acquiring Beal, who has two years remaining on his contract after this season, including a $57.1MM option for 2026/27. Beal also has a no-trade clause and would have to agree to waive it whether he was routed to Miami or a third party.

The Suns are still the team pushing the hardest to land Butler ahead of Thursday’s deadline, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang reports. In any Butler trade, the Heat want to acquire at least one quality player who can help the team this season, Chiang adds.

Butler, who has been suspended indefinitely by Miami for repeated violations of team rules, holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for next season.

Golden State also seriously explored trade proposals to acquire both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučevic from the Bulls before opting to pursue other deals, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets. LaVine is on the move to Sacramento.

Heat ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Moving Butler By Deadline

January 28th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

10:32am: The Warriors, viewed near the start of the month as an unlikely suitor for Butler, are one of the teams back in the mix now that the Heat have lowered their asking price, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel hears from a source that the Heat would be satisfied to receive a “potential contributing” player on a one- or two-year contract, expiring salary, and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Butler.

9:48am: The Heat are “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of making a Jimmy Butler trade before the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who report that Miami has been engaging “several” teams besides the Suns.

While Phoenix has long been viewed as Butler’s preferred landing spot and the team most willing to give the 35-year-old the maximum-salary contract he’s seeking, the Suns haven’t had much luck finding a trade structure that works, per The Herald.

Bradley Beal would have to be sent to a third team in order for the Suns to acquire Butler, since Phoenix can’t aggregate contracts and Miami isn’t interested in the veteran guard, who has two more years and nearly $111MM left on his contract after this season.

Finding a taker for Beal has been a challenge, especially since he has the ability to veto any deal using his no-trade clause. While Beal is reportedly open to waiving that clause to join a contending team, ideally one in a warm-weather city, he also seems to be comfortable with the idea of remaining in Phoenix, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Appearing on ESPN (Twitter video links), NBA insider Brian Windhorst backed up the notion that the Heat are talking to teams besides the Suns about Butler and said Miami is “really, really trying to make this happen,” adding that the team’s asking price on Butler has dropped a little from where it was earlier in the month.

“Obviously, the Phoenix Suns have tried to get this done for weeks,” Windhorst said on SportsCenter. “They have tried three-, four-, five-team machinations. They have not been able to overcome the fact that what they’ve really got to trade is Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause and not a very big market. So now I do believe this is going to bring in some other teams. We could see some surprising moves in this little battle in the next couple of days.

“… I am not saying for sure this is going to happen. I’m not predicting what’s going to happen. But I do think some teams that thought they were out of this are coming back in because it doesn’t look like the Suns and Heat are going to be able to consummate a deal. I think we might see a team swoop in here and get Jimmy Butler at a cheap price. A guy who can be the best player in a playoff series at a bargain price.”

Windhorst went a step further during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday morning (Twitter video link).

“Jimmy Butler’s going to get traded,” he predicted. “I wasn’t sure about that maybe seven to 10 days ago. I really am more sure than ever that that’s going to happen.”

The Heat announced on Monday that they’ve suspended Butler for a third time. Following a five-game suspension earlier this month and a two-game suspension that just concluded on Saturday, the latest suspension is an indefinite one and was said to be for “withholding services.” That means it will cost Butler 1/91.6th of his $48.8MM salary for each game he misses — the previous suspensions for conduct detrimental for the team cost him 1/145th of his salary per game.

Since word of Butler’s desire to be traded first broke last month, reports have indicated that the Heat are willing to hang onto the six-time All-Star through this season and revisit trade talks in the summer if they don’t get the sort of return they want by February 6. The club is said to be prioritizing win-now players with contracts that don’t extend beyond 2025/26.

However, with the standoff between the two sides continuing to escalate, it appears increasingly untenable for Butler to remain on the roster for several more months, which is why the front office is more motivated than ever to find a viable deal.

As Jackson and Chiang point out, while Butler’s camp has long conveyed that he intends to decline his 2025/26 player option in favor of free agency, the veteran forward could make life difficult on the Heat by picking up that option in June and essentially putting Miami back in the same situation it’s in now — with a disgruntled star on a maximum-salary deal, hamstringing the team’s ability to improve the roster around him.

Additionally, while the Heat are theoretically saving some money as a result of Butler’s suspensions, team-imposed suspensions don’t affect a team’s tax bill, and based on existing precedents, it’s very possible Butler will regain a chunk of his lost salary through the appeal process. In other words, the financial incentives to continue suspending him are minimal.

Neither Windhorst nor the duo of Jackson and Chiang named specific teams outside of Phoenix that might be exploring a deal for Butler. Previous reporting has indicated that the Grizzlies have kicked the tires on the possibility, despite being warned against it, while Marc Stein said on Monday that rival clubs continue to wonder if the Bucks will get involved.

Suns’ Bradley Beal Not Interested In Bulls Trade

January 27th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns guard Bradley Beal is not amenable to waiving his no-trade clause to be moved to the Bulls, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Chicago has reportedly held conversations with Phoenix about the idea of acquiring Beal to help facilitate a Suns trade for embattled Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler. On Monday, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP was suspended by Miami for the third time this year.

Because the Heat have no interest in taking on salary beyond 2025/26, Katz notes, a third team seems needed to land Butler with Phoenix All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, creating a new “Big Three” of formidable veterans.

Two-time All-Star Chicago wing Zach LaVine‘s $43MM salary would have made him a clear financial fit in a hypothetical three-team deal, though he is under contract for two more seasons after this one and may not have appealed to Miami for that reason.

Things have not gone according to plan for the Suns this season. Day-one starters Beal and Jusuf Nurkic have both been demoted to the bench, and the club has struggled in the Western Conference under new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is no longer in Budenholzer’s rotations at all, while Beal is the club’s sixth man. Phoenix is currently 23-21 on the year, good for the No. 7 seed in the West.

Katz reports that, despite his lack of interest in joining the Bulls, Beal would be open to being dealt away from the Suns, provided he is sent to a “winning team.” He also finds cold-weather destinations less appealing, Katz adds. The Bulls, being in such a climate and also sporting a sub-.500 record (19-27), are not among trade destinations Beal would approve.

Across 31 healthy games this year, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 17.2 points per night on an efficient slash line of .485/.396/.764.

The 31-year-old is owed $160MM across this season and the next two. Beal, who has not made an All-Star team since his Wizards-era prime, is one of just two players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause, along with 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James.

Bulls, Suns Have Discussed Bradley Beal

January 27th, 2025 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls are “absolutely involved in conversations with the Suns involving possible Jimmy Butler situations,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated on Monday’s episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).

While Windhorst was careful about what he did and didn’t say in addressing the discussions between Chicago and Phoenix, he made it clear that Bradley Beal‘s name has come up in those conversations and that the Bulls aren’t looking to reacquire Butler themselves.

“If I’m talking about a three-team trade and Jimmy Butler is on one end and (he’s) not going to Chicago, we’re talking about Bradley Beal,” Windhorst said. “… The bottom line is that the Bulls and the Suns have talked and the concept of Bradley Beal ending up in Chicago has been discussed. I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m not saying it’s close or whatever. Obviously, Beal has a no-trade clause.”

As we’ve written many times in recent weeks, the Suns and Butler have strong mutual interest. And in order to acquire the Heat star, whose cap hit is $48.8MM, Phoenix would need to include Beal and his $50.2MM cap hit in its outgoing package for salary-matching purposes.

However, Miami reportedly has no interest in taking on Beal’s maximum-salary contract, which comes with a no-trade clause and covers two more seasons beyond this one. That means at least one more team would need to be included in a deal sending Butler to Phoenix in order to take on Beal’s contract and to send the Heat the sort of assets they’re looking for.

While it’s possible the Bulls could be that team, their most obvious salary-matching fit in such a deal – Zach LaVine ($43MM) – may not appeal to the Heat because his contract runs beyond the 2025/26 season. Multiple reports have indicated that Miami is prioritizing cap flexibility in 2026 and is strongly opposed to taking on salary beyond that season.

During the Hoop Collective discussion, Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps also questioned why the Bulls would be motivated to swap out LaVine for Beal, given the limited draft assets the Suns could offer as sweeteners and the All-Star caliber season LaVine is having so far this year (24.0 PPG on .512/.444/.792 shooting).

Phoenix has three first-round picks available to trade, but each of them includes “least favorable” language and seems likely to end up in the 20s. Bontemps argues that the Bulls will be able to get better value for LaVine, who would reportedly prefer to remain in Chicago past the trade deadline, if they wait until a little later in his contract to move him.

Chicago could theoretically trade for Beal without including LaVine, since the team has other trade candidates – starting with Lonzo Ball ($21.4MM) and Nikola Vucevic ($20MM) – whose salaries could be aggregated to match Beal’s incoming figure. But that would leave the Bulls with both Beal’s and LaVine’s maximum-salary contracts on their books and overlapping skill sets on their roster.

Although there are permutations of a multi-team Butler deal that might make sense for all of the Suns, Bulls, and Heat, it would likely require at least one additional trade partner and wouldn’t be easy to construct. It would also require Beal to agree to waive his no-trade clause in order to join a team that’s likely lottery-bound.

Presumably, the discussions between Chicago and Phoenix are about figuring out what that path might look like. There’s no indication they gained any real momentum.

For what it’s worth, one report last week linked LaVine to the Bucks. It sounded like no more than speculation, but maybe there’s a viable scenario that sends Butler to Phoenix, Beal to Chicago, LaVine to Milwaukee, and various pieces to Miami.

It’s also worth noting that both the Bulls and Suns have other trade candidates who are making nearly identical salaries this season and are strong candidates for changes of scenery: Chicago forward Patrick Williams ($18MM) and Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic ($18.13MM).

Williams is a former No. 4 overall pick who showed three-and-D promise earlier in his career but whose development has stalled. Nurkic has been a starter for most of his 11-year NBA career, but has fallen out of Phoenix’s frontcourt rotation. It’s possible the Suns would be willing to roll the dice on unlocking untapped potential in Williams, who is still just 23. It’s also possible the Bulls would like the idea of taking on a contract that will end in 2026, three years before Williams’ does.

However, Windhorst didn’t say anything during the Hoop Collective podcast about either of those players being discussed.

Suns Notes: Nurkic, Beal, Richards, Durant, Dunn

January 25th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Two veteran Suns whose names have frequently come up in trade rumors in recent weeks appear on track to return to action on Saturday vs. Washington. Guard Bradley Beal, who has missed three of the team’s past four games due to a left ankle sprain, is listed as probable to play, while center Jusuf Nurkic isn’t on the injury report after being inactive for six consecutive games due to an illness and return-to-play reconditioning.

Of course, while Beal figures to play a prominent role as long as he’s active, Nurkic was a DNP-CD for two games prior to his illness and faces even more competition for playing time up front now that Nick Richards is a Sun, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Asked about Nurkic’s role, head coach Mike Budenholzer suggested that all of the Suns’ centers, including Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro, will have to show in games and practices that they deserve regular minutes.

“That’s the message to not just Nurk, but to Nick, to Mason, to Oso,” Budenholzer said. “All those guys have played for us and are capable. They’ve all got to earn their minutes.”

Here’s more on the Suns:

Richards has averaged a double-double (11.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) in his first three games as a Sun, serving as the team’s starting center on Monday and Wednesday. His 15 rebounds in Wednesday’s victory over Brooklyn were a personal season high. “Everybody has been telling me to just be myself and I’ve been telling myself (that) since I got here,” Richards said of adjusting to his new team, per Rankin. “I’m playing with some of the best guys in the world. Just trying to play through them. Trying to get to know everybody. Trying to build that chemistry with every single player on the team.”
As a result of being named an All-Star starter, Kevin Durant locked in a $1.3MM bonus that’s part of his contract, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That bonus had already been considered “likely” to be earned since Durant was an All-Star last season, so it doesn’t impact his cap hit or Phoenix’s projected tax bill, Marks adds.
Ryan Dunn, the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft, has already started 23 games for the Suns, taking on an unexpectedly prominent role for a rookie on a veteran team with the league’s highest payroll. Speaking to Spencer Davies of RG.org, Dunn expressed gratitude for the confidence the Suns have shown in him. “It means a lot,” Dunn said. “I think they have a lot of trust in me, and I just try to come out and do my job every night. I’m not trying to be perfect in any aspect. I’m trying to just play hard and compete, and I think that’s gotten me a lot more minutes on the floor. I’m forever grateful for this staff and this team believing in me. I’m just trying to do the best to help our team win.”
Dunn also spoke to Davies about several other topics, including how much he appreciates being able to learn from stars like Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker. “They have their own little regimens themselves, and I’ve been trying to watch that from afar,” Dunn said. “Just trying to pick up on stuff – how they watch film, how they workout, how they get up and down on the floor. Just taking that routine and taking other stuff into my game and trying to figure out ways to have a long career like that.”

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