The Phoenix Suns’ recent losing streak was increased to four games following their crushing 126-108 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
The Suns’ two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant has been superb in that stretch, averaging 30.0 points. However, this has done little to prevent Phoenix from falling to 15-18 on the season.
One of the biggest detriments to the team’s success in recent weeks has been former All-Star Bradley Beal’s inability to mesh well with his fellow star teammates in Durant and Devin Booker.
This could be attributed to the endless trade rumors which include Beal being dealt to another franchise in exchange for a different star like Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, but recent reports have indicated that Beal’s actual preferred trade destination could differ entirely.
In fact, this surprise team could sway Beal into waiving his no-trade clause, which has been a major factor in trade negotiations to this juncture.
“As for Beal the no-trade looms large,” shared Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix’s John Gambadoro on Monday afternoon.
“He could have went to Milwaukee before he ended up in Phoenix but that was turned down.”
“Have heard he would waive no trade for LA, Miami, Denver but I do believe there are a few others that he could ultimately decide work for him.”
As it turns out, Beal could be looking to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, an option that could pique the interest of Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka.
At 31 years old, Beal is currently averaging 17.8 points and 3.1 assists on a solid 55.7% effective field goal percentage.
The three-time All-Star and former All-NBA selection is putting together a solid season from a numbers perspective, but Phoenix is looking to ship Beal out in exchange for impact players that provide effectiveness outside of scoring.
As for Los Angeles, acquiring a proven scorer like Beal to take the pressure off of James and Davis could prove to be a fantastic transaction.
In return for Beal, Los Angeles would likely ship out the contracts of Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent among others to make salaries match. The Lakers would also likely include draft compensation, though it’s possible that Beal won’t command first-round selections.