Obviously this trade doesn’t work (or at least this “version” of it) if Beal exercises his no trade clause
Why the Suns do this:
Suns swap Beal for Butler who not only has a better contract, but is a better fit than Beal overall. They also replace Nurkic, who has struggled too much for them this season, with Kessler, who is younger, more athletic, and provides the lob threat and rim protection Nurkic can’t.
Why the Heat do this:
Jimmy hasn’t demanded out of Miami yet, but if he does, things could go south pretty quickly. But seeing as that hasn’t happened yet, we know that Butler’s #1 trade destination is PHX, and in return the Heat get Beal, Reddish, and the coveted 2031 FRP from the Suns. Beal plus Reddish and the FRP provide more value for the Heat versus just deciding to pay Jimmy, as the defensive minded Reddish fits their culture, and obviously the 2031 FRP is valuable because the Suns most likely won’t be good by then.
Why the Jazz do this:
To be honest, I don’t know the Jazz too well other than the fact that they’re a young rebuilding team, but I do feel like Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura fit their timeline better than Collins and Clarkson, who are older players. BI or Rui could be flipped later anyways for more draft capital if they wanted or younger players.
Why the Pelicans do this:
Obviously the main reason they do this is because they get a center in Jusuf Nurkic. Sure, Nurkic has been inconsistent so far this season, but he’s not a bad player. He’s an underrated passer for a big man and a quality screener, which can be utilized in the PnR with Murray and CJ. The Pels also get Clarkson who can help provide a scoring spark off the bench and Gabe Vincent, who, in a change of scenery, can be a solid backup guard behind Murray or even Alvarado.
Why the Lakers do this:
They upgrade the 4 with Collins and get a Jordan Hawkins, a young SG with promising upside. The Lakers also get a proven backup big, replacing Christian Wood who has been terrible all season.
Comment your thoughts and any suggestions for improvements!