Bradley Beal returned to form for the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day with a game-high 27-point outing to help lead his team to a 10-point win over the Denver Nuggets. However, former NBA star Jeff Teague doesn’t think that the three-time All-Star will continue his hot shooting in ‘The Valley’ for too long. He believes that Beal is trying to produce at a high level to show off his value in the market before the trade deadline.
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While discussing the holiday slate on the Club 520 Podcast, Teague and his co-hosts underlined how good the final matchup of the night ended up being despite having the disadvantage of being overshadowed by the day’s earlier contests.
Teague admitted that it wasn’t his favorite game of the night before Brandon “B Hen” Hendricks pointed out how solid Beal was in Devin Booker’s absence. “Yeah, [Beal] getting ready for that trade, he on his way outta there,” Teague responded immediately.
Beal has posted at least 23 points in three straight games for the Suns, stepping in as the franchise’s second option while Booker recovers from a groin strain. However, Teague thinks the uptick in production is not due to Booker’s absence. He declared that Beal is well-aware of the vibes in Phoenix and doesn’t want to play for a team that doesn’t want him anymore.
There have been rumors about Phoenix courting a star that better fits their tandem, like Jimmy Butler. But the only problem has been Beal’s exorbitant contract and the no-trade clause in it. However, Teague thinks that the 31-year-old might waive it voluntarily to look for greener pastures.
Amid booming trade rumors about Jimmy Butler leaving Miami, South Beach originally seemed like a plausible destination for the former Washington Wizard. However, team president Pat Riley has been headstrong about retaining the 35-year-old’s talents, making the path to a Beal trade difficult.
Still, the St. Louis native has proven to be capable as a complementary option on a contending team. The problem will be finding a suitor that can swallow his massive $50 million/year cap hit.
Possible trade destinations for Beal
There aren’t many teams that can easily take up Beal’s max-level contract, nor are there that many that would want to. However, there are other contenders who have been struggling to keep pace and could utilize his services. That includes the Nuggets, who looked understaffed on Wednesday, especially after losing Aaron Gordon to injury mid-contest.
It would involve parting ways with Michael Porter Jr, but Denver could go after the former All-NBA guard before the deadline. The veteran guard will take a lot of the offensive load off of Nikola Jokic. It will ease the pressure for the Serbian as a floor general as well since Beal can create his own chances.
Also, while Pat Riley is adamant that Miami would be hanging on to Butler, that scenario appears increasingly unlikely as the Heat continue to struggle to hang around .500. A lot can happen before February.
