How Suns owner Matt Ishbia’s right-hand man could stop $251M star’s trade for Jimmy Butler

The Phoenix Suns have a Bradley Beal problem on their hands right now. It seems like those who warned the team against trading for him were right all along. Beal has a no-trade clause in his $251 million contract and as such, holds all the leverage over any potential trade.

On top of that, a report by Sam Amick of The Athletic shed light on an even more interesting aspect of the dynamic. Apparently, family ties could have an impact on whether he'll be moved or not:

"While we all know that owner Mat Ishbia is firmly in charge and in front in this pursuit, his first-in-command, chief executive officer Josh Bartelstein, is the son of Beal’s longtime agent, Mark Bartelstein. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of those family conversations this week," wrote Amick.

There weren't that many suitors for Beal's services when the Suns first acquired him, and that situation may not have changed after watching him miss several games with an injury.

Bradley Beal hasn't had trade talks with the Suns or any other team, per agent

Bradley Beal is averaging roughly 17 points per game this season and has been recently demoted to the second unit. Needless to say, that sparked rumors about a potential trade, especially with all the buzz surrounding Jimmy Butler and the Suns' alleged interest in acquiring his services.

Nonetheless, any transaction would require Beal to waive his no-trade clause. His agent, Mark Bartelstein, stated that there haven't been any talks about that possibility so far:

"There have been no discussions about trades with the Suns or any other team," Bartelstein told ESPN. "Bradley's total focus is on helping the Suns turn things around."

The Suns' salary-cap situation prevents them from acquiring Butler unless they part ways with either Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, or the aforementioned Beal. As aggressive as they will reportedly be to trade for the disgruntled Miami Heat star, it seems like there are way too many hurdles to get past to make that happen.

The trade deadline is creeping closer, and with other teams also looking to enter the Butler sweepstakes, the Suns will find it very tough to move on from Beal.