Suddenly the Phoenix Suns have three of the best scorers in basketball, all in the same starting lineup. Rumors hinted at a potential deal days ago, but now the trade sending Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards to the Suns is official, according to Shams Charania.
- Washington Wizards receive: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks and pick swaps
- Phoenix Suns receive: Bradley Beal
As previously hinted at, the Suns didn’t have to give up much to bring in the soon-to-be 30-year-old three-time All-Star. Parting with CP3, who was headed out of the door anyway, to help salaries match, plus Shamet, who averaged 20.2 MPG across 40 appearances and lesser draft picks that won’t amount to much.
That’s it. Not a single star player, Deandre Ayton stays in Phoenix, all while the Suns add a top 50 player in the league.
How did they pull off such a heist? Well, Beal has a massive contract, paying him $238 million over the next four seasons. To some, this was too rich for a player who can get buckets at will but often loses interest on defense.
Beal has averaged north of 20 points per game in the past seven seasons, including two where he topped 30 PPG, but he also hasn’t made more than 60 appearances since 2019. Either way, the Suns have immediately soared to becoming one of the favorites to emerge out of the Western Conference where they’ll have to compete with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets plus the Golden State Warriors to name a few.
Going from Monty Williams to Frank Vogel and now adding Beal to an already strong core that reached the semifinals should have Suns fans thrilled about their chances to improve heading into next season. Unfortunately, now they’ll have to wait several long months before seeing their new-look squad in action.
Meanwhile, Chris Paul will likely now get bought out from the Wizards, where he’ll surely seek an opportunity to chase what would be the first championship ring of the 38-year-old’s career. Rumors of CP3 landing with one Western Conference contender have already emerged.
For the Wizards, we’ll see a full rebuilding effort led by new president of basketball operations Michael Winger. The Wizards hold the eighth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and also have Johnny Davis who’s sure to receive a large uptick in playing time after seeing just 15.1 MPG as a rookie.
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