No matter how badly the Phoenix Suns may want Jimmy Butler, there just doesn't seem to be a viable way for them to get him. Nobody wants the Bradley Beal contract. Even if someone did, Beal himself doesn't seem eager to drop his no-trade clause to help the Suns dump him.

Ultimately, Butler’s teammates do have to play basketball with or without him on the court, so it makes sense for their focus to remain there. To borrow some executive-friendly phrasing, it is fair to describe any individual element of the situation as “fluid.