Suns vs Wizards Matchup Removed From National TV

The Phoenix Suns will no longer be on national television against the Washington Wizards.

Dec 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) against the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns' Jan. 16 game against the Washington Wizards is no longer scheduled to be shown on TNT.

The game, which would have shown Bradley Beal's return to Washington after spending the first chunk of his career there, was the Wizards' lone nationally televised game:

News: The NBA has replaced the one and only nationally televised game of the Washington Wizards—a Jan. 16 game against the Suns on TNT—with Cleveland at Oklahoma City.

— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) December 13, 2024

The start time will now be 5:00 PM MST and will be shown on Arizona’s Family 3TV and Arizona’s Family Sports rather than TNT.

The move spurred plenty of speculation about the future of Beal in Phoenix after it was revealed Jimmy Butler listed the Suns as a preferred trade destination. Beal is the only piece the Suns would conceivably send in a trade, and it's reported he would waive his no-trade clause.

Matters weren't helped when Beal was a surprising late scratch ahead of Phoenix's Friday night win over the Utah Jazz with knee soreness, which wasn't on the injury report until right before tip-off.

Realistically, the move could be because the Wizards are the worst team in the NBA with a 3-20 record - they went the entire month of November without a win while players such as Jordan Poole or Kyle Kuzma could be traded ahead of the league's Feb. 6 deadline.

The Suns themselves hope to get going after a rough stretch without Kevin Durant. Phoenix sits with a 13-11 record entering their Sunday matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.