According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Phoenix Suns could be interested in trading Bradley Beal to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine.
Beal has a no-trade clause in his contract, so the Suns can’t trade him without his permission.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan coached Beal in college at Florida.
“In LaVine’s case, sources say, he has not been pushing to be moved,” Fischer wrote in his NBA column. “Yet that, to be clear, won’t necessarily insulate LaVine from being dealt if an offer Chicago likes surfaces in the next 13 days. Sources say Phoenix, to name one example, could emerge with interest in exploring a swap of Bradley Beal for LaVine, sources said, depending on how the rest of the trade landscape develops in the coming weeks.”
Beal has appeared in 30 games for the Suns this season. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 48.5% from the field, 38.6% from beyond the arc and 75.0% from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, LaVine is averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks in 40 games while shooting 51.3% from the field, 45.1% from beyond the arc and 81.2% from the free-throw line.
Beal, 31, is making $50.2 million this season, while LaVine, 29, is making $43 million.
The Suns are trying to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. However, the Heat are not interested in acquiring Beal, whose agent recently said that his client wants to stay in Phoenix.
“Brad’s entire focus has been and is on getting healthy with his ankle and helping turn things around for the Suns,” Mark Bartelstein told The Arizona Republic. “Being a professional athlete brings all kinds of amazing blessings. However, the part of the business that every player dreads is having no control over his future when it comes to trades and so the fact that we have control of that aspect of Brad’s career is something that is extremely precious and is an asset that we certainly would never want to relinquish.”
