It looks like the Jimmy Butler drama will finally have a concrete solution. A few days ago, the Miami Heat forward made it loud and clear that he doesn’t want to be part of the franchise anymore. Contrarily, he has already played two games after his 7-game suspension. Even then the renowned NBA Insider Marc Stein, reported that the Heat would make a move ahead of February 6. However, now, we have the team’s final stance and it ultimately had a ripple effect on the Phoenix Suns’ $50.2 million plan.

So, when the uncertainty about Butler’s stay leaked in the NBA world, the Suns emerged as the frontrunner in roping in the forward. Following the formation of the Big 3, the Suns haven’t had a great run. It was Bradley Beal who faced the brink of the beatings for the same, as he struggled to consistently generate buckets.

While the star guard Beal’s $50 million annual salary contract already caused enough trouble, the latest development in the Butler trade drama has further dampened the Suns’ hopes. According to NBC Sports, most league sources stated that Jimmy Butler will stay with the Heat even after the trade deadline. More importantly, the star will be expected to subscribe to the player option for the last year of his contract and then look for a new home in free agency. This is undoubtedly an unexpected development.

So, let’s find out how this recent will affect the Suns‘ hope. Well, it’s so simple, without Jimmy Butler, the Valley team’s dreams are almost shattered. Anyway, let’s take a look at the way how the Suns would’ve managed to rope in Butler despite hitting the second apron ceiling.

How will Bradley Beal play a role in Jimmy Butler’s trade?

Since the above-mentioned trade stance was from an anonymous source, let’s just assume that Jimmy Butler is still available in the trade market. Since the Suns are actively looking to trade in Butler for Bradley Beal, they will have to, by rule, match their salaries to make it possible because of the second-apron tax restrictions.

So, there is a dire need for a third team to get involved in the action. Moreover, the Heat has reportedly expressed its displeasure to rope in Beal, as per CBS Sports. And according to Marc Stein, the Bucks will jump into the trade with an interest in roping in Beal into their roster. In Stein’s words, the Bucks “have been more frequently painted as a team likely to rekindle their previous interest in Phoenix’s Bradley Beal if they intend to pursue a trade for a player in the $50 million range.”

Apparently, the Bucks fancied Beal during the 2023 off-season and ultimately landed Damian Lillard. Nevertheless, there’s another big obstacle that the Suns have to face which is Beal has a no-trade clause attached to his current contract. While he hasn’t hinted at available the clause, the star might do it if he wasn’t happy with the franchise. Anyway, what do you think will happen? Let us know in the comments below.