This year's stunning NBA trade deadline was the busiest in league history. There were 63 players dealt in the week leading up to Thursday, including eight All-Stars. Ironically, one of the most important players along the way was one who stayed put: Bradley Beal.

Beal's no-trade clause, which the Wizards included in his contract back in 2022, proved to be the biggest challenge in Phoenix trying to find Beal a new home.

Of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he’d waive his no-trade clause to go there. Phoenix clung to

There have been reports that it would take a contending team in a warm-weather city for Bradley Beal to consider waiving his no-trade clause, but there’s another reason he prefers to remain in Phoenix, according to Fred Katz, Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

The Phoenix Suns reportedly found just two teams willing to take on Bradley Beal's $50 million cap hit when testing out potential trades for Jimmy

Bradley Beal on his mentality now that Jimmy Butler got traded to Golden State: “Nothing changed for me. My mentality is the same whether somebody is here, somebody is not

Katz reports that, despite his apathy towards a Bulls trade, Beal would be open to being dealt away from the Suns, provided he is sent to a “winning team.” He finds cold-weather destinations less appetizing. The Bulls, being in such a climate and also sporting a sub-.500 19-27 record, are not among trade destinations Beal would approve.

Bradley Beal and Jimmy Butler will forever be tied together after this. The Phoenix Suns were looking to acquire Butler from the Miami Heat, but they needed to move Beal to clear the way for that to work financially.

The Phoenix Suns were trying to see if there were any teams that would take the star guard’s contract since he has a no trade clause. Oddly enough, the team that originally gave him the clause was willing to get him back.

The trade deadline came and went and Bradley Beal, prominently involved in trade rumors, is still with the Phoenix Suns after declining to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade that would have gotten the Suns Jimmy Butler.