Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told Wolves radio voice Alan Horton he was talking to Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal when he received his second technical foul and was subsequently ejected from Wednesday night's game.

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 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.