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 Suns are making calls about the two veterans they just moved to the bench, though they have yet to ask Beal for his thoughts about any potential trade, team sources said. Beal’s sign-off is

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.