Warriors may get perfect opportunity to thank 3x All-Star for Jimmy Butler trade

As far as opposing players go, there might be no one who's had more impact on the Golden State Warriors this season than 3x All-Star Bradley Beal.

Not only has Beal essentially ruined the season of a direct rival in the Phoenix Suns, but his refusal to waive his no-trade clause allowed the Warriors to get their hands on Jimmy Butler just before the mid-season deadline.

If Beal had waived it -- or didn't have one in the first place -- then there's a fair chance that Butler is in Phoenix right now and that Golden State would have been left in the dark without the opportunity to stunningly turn their season around.

Could the Warriors give their thanks to Bradley Beal by bringing him to the Bay?

Warrior fans have joked about building a Beal statue outside Chase Center to thank him for his services, but perhaps they could take a legitimate step and actually acquire the veteran guard in the offseason?

How would that work given Beal is still owed $110 million over the next two seasons? Well, things are so dire in Phoenix -- and the frustration with Beal is so enormous -- that they may even consider the shock move of orchestrating a buyout with the 31-year-old.

Long-time Suns insider John Gambadoro claims "there's a zero percent chance that Bradley Beal is back on this Suns team next year." Given that Beal still holds a no-trade clause, and that rival teams would have no interest in taking on the deal anyway, that would suggest there's another avenue to getting Beal as far away from Phoenix as possible.

Would the Suns really buyout a player that has so much money on their deal? While that remains to be seen, it is generating discussion as was well laid out in a recent article from John Voita of Bright Side of the Sun.

"So essentially, if the Suns decide to buy out Bradley Beal, they’ll be footing the bulk of the bill," Voita wrote. "Yes, it’s financially painful. But that’s the tax you pay for poor decision-making. And yet, it’s possible. Painful, but possible."

If you're an opposing team like the Warriors, you have no interest in actually trading for Beal. Yet if he's on the free agent market following a buyout, then he can certainly become a valuable player given that -- despite all his issues -- he's still averaging 16.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 49.5% shooting from the floor and 38% from 3-point range.

Beal's seemingly celebrating for the Warriors already if his viral reaction to Stephen Curry's three on Tuesday is any indication, so why not give him the opportunity to do it for real if the opportunity presents itself.