The Phoenix Suns have been linked to Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler in trade talks, citing the Western Conference team as the top destination. However, this has unearthed discussions on which player the Suns could swap for Butler and Bradley Beal‘s name often came up.
Beal is no stranger to trade talks as he’s been a part of a few during his time with the Washington Wizards. However, the rumors have not bothered him one bit and addressed the trade rumors that link the Suns and Butler together.
“The same thing until one of them comes and says something to me and talks to me,” Beal said. “It’s just out there. I’m a Phoenix Sun and I’m here and I’m in a uniform, but I don’t pay attention to that, man. They did that with me for 10 years.”
Bradley Beal on the Jimmy Butler trade rumors: “The same thing until one of them comes and says something to me and talks to me. It’s just out there. I’m a Phoenix Sun and I’m here and I’m in a uniform, but I don’t pay attention to that, man. They did that with me for 10 years” pic.twitter.com/trkBiu6alt
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 20, 2024
His attitude on the matter comes with maturity. Beal has been around the league since 2012 and has grown into a level-headed player when it comes to trade discussions involving him.
“I used to be a Twitter head, on there all the time and seeing what people are saying,” Beal said. “Everybody is going to have an opinion about something. I think that kind of puts you in a negative head space. I don’t pay attention to it. Everybody is going to have an opinion about something and nobody controls injuries. Everybody wants their favorite player play with their next favorite player. It’s just noise, man. You just got to go out and do your job.”
Now in his second season with the Suns, Beal has played 16 games, averaging 17.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Phoenix Suns’ head coach had high praise for how Beal handles injuries
Aside from the trade rumors Beal has been involved with, the All-Star forward has also struggled to deal with injuries. Even with the injuries, he’s kept his cool and calm demeanor and head coach Mike Budenholzer commends the star guard for it.
Since the season started, Beal has dealt with an elbow sprain, calf strain and knee swelling.
There’s a been a real level of frustration with him,” Budenholzer said. “It feels like just some bad luck with a little bit of this stuff, but I think for him to like flip, whether it’s frustration or bad luck or whatever and then go into the weight room and put his time in. Put his time in with the training staff, be there with his teammates, his energy, I think has been good, has been helpful.”
'I'm a Phoenix Sun': Bradley Beal as trade speculation continues (w/videos) #Suns https://t.co/ZhUkNqArGQ
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 20, 2024
Fortunately for the Suns, Beal has not given up on the team and performs well when he’s available.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
