It would have been easy to assume the Phoenix Suns' decision to bench Bradley Beal was done in part to motivate him to waive his no-trade clause ahead of

Suns guard Bradley Beal has not discussing waiving his no-trade clause, with his agent telling ESPN that "Bradley's total focus is on helping the Suns turn things around."

The Phoenix Suns head to the Spectrum Center to face the Charlotte Hornets in a non-conference matchup. The Suns are 16-18, which puts them in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Hornets are 7-27, which puts them in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

It's also Phoenix's first loss since its starting lineup change that sent Bradley Beal (10 points, five assists) to the bench along with center Jusuf Nurkic (eight points, three rebounds).

The Phoenix Suns looked like a different team in Philadelphia last night. Boy did that not last long. Tonight, they could not carry that momentum over against a struggling Hornets squad (10-game losing streak) who just earned their 8th win of the season.