This presupposes that the trade for Beal is the original roster construction problem in Phoenix that must be solved -- that under the new collective bargaining agreement, building a team around three max salary players, one of whom is performing far below a max level, is untenable.

The NBA trade deadline draws closer by the day, and as always, the transaction cycle remains headlined by the same small group of players. On Monday, the Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler indefinitely after he walked out of a shootaround upon receiving the news that he would be benched.

Bradley Beal’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for almost the entire season as the Phoenix Suns have slipped down the Western Conference standings. There’s a catch: Beal is one of two players in the league with a no-trade clause,