Bradley Beal started the second half for Dunn, who replaced him in the starting lineup beginning Jan. 6 at Philadelphia. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer moved Jusuf Nurkic and Beal to the bench starting that game.

Bradley Beal addresses his wife's angry reaction to a heckling Suns fan whose comments left their son in tears, sharing his perspective.

Bradley Beal's no-trade clause is the ultimate complicating factor in any potential Jimmy Butler trade between the Suns and the Heat.

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.

During the Hoop Collective discussion, Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps also questioned why the Bulls would be motivated to swap out LaVine for Beal, given the limited draft assets the Suns could offer as sweeteners and the All-Star caliber season LaVine is having so far this year (24.0 PPG on .512/.444/.792 shooting).

As the trade deadline gets closer, other teams trying to get involved in the Jimmy Butler trade, and the Chicago Bulls are one of them.

Phoenix Suns list guard Bradley Beal as available for Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards after missing Wednesday’s game due to a left ankle sprain. Center Jusuf Nurkic was not listed on Saturday’s injury report. Nurkic last played on Jan. 7 against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds.

Kevin Durant, who was questionable heading into the game with a thumb injury, scored a team-high 33 points (13-19 FG) for the Suns to go along with seven assists and four blocks.

The Wizards have gone bare bones and are depending on lottery luck to save them. Meanwhile, the Raptors, who have now won five straight, are approaching their own rebuild a little differently. Which track will bear the most fruit?

Butler was informed at shootaround that he would come off the bench behind Haywood Highsmith in this game, which prompted Butler to walk out of shootaround. From there, the Heat suspended Butler “indefinitely,” a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic and since confirmed by the team.

The Rockets announced their presence as a title contender this week, but everyone is still chasing Oklahoma City in the West. 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-8, Last Week No. 1). The Thunder went 3-2 in this stretch of games without either Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstien,