A Bradley Beal-to-Phoenix Deal in the Works
Once completed, the Phoenix Suns will have a better Big Three to open the 2023-2024 NBA season than the one they finished with last year.
Beal Trade Materializes
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped another Woj bomb Sunday, reporting that the Suns and the Washington Wizards are in the midst of finalizing a deal that will send the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft from the capital to the Valley. While the teams continue to work on the framework, it appears as though Beal will be a Sun next season.
The soon to be 30 year old averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 50.6% field goal shooting last season for Washington.
The Framework
The Suns are believed to be sending Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and multiple second-round picks since Phoenix doesn’t have first-round picks to include in the trade. Reports also indicate that pick swaps will also be included in the deal.
While the return for the 3x All-Star seems underwhelming at first glance, Beal’s full no-trade clause limited the number of possible trade partners that Washington could work with. After a disappointing 35-47 season, Washington is looking to overhaul their roster, so getting Beal’s 5yr/$251M contract off their books will better serve the rebuilding team in the long run than having him on their roster at this point.
The inclusion of Chris Paul isn’t a surprise as previous reports already hinted that the Suns were planning on waiving the 38-year-old point guard. This, despite the fact that new Head Coach Frank Vogel said he wanted Paul to stay in Phoenix.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Deandre Ayton doesn’t appear to be a part of the deal as many believed he would be. While reports have broken from multiple sources saying the Phoenix & Washington aspects of the trade are completed, the deal hasn’t been officially announced as of yet as the Wizards are fielding offers to immediately flip Paul to a third team.
A Better Big Three?
The Suns acquired Kevin Durant in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets last February. That deal didn’t produce a championship as the Suns suffered another early playoff exit during the Western Conference semifinals against the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. That stunning defeat led to ex-Coach Monty William’s exit and the appointment of Vogel as new bench boss.
It also didn’t help Phoenix that CP3 sustained an injury that knocked him out of action during the final stretch of their playoff run. Paul averaged 12.4 points (a playoff career-low), 7.4 assists, five rebounds, and 1.7 steals in their 2023 postseason run.
Upon the finalization of the deal, Devin Booker will have a new running mate in the backcourt in Bradley Beal. With Durant’s towering height and offensive prowess, the Booker-Beal duo running the offense, and Ayton doing his thing in the paint, the Suns now have a loaded starting line-up almost unparalleled in every way possible.
As scary as the Suns’ new Big Three would be offensively, there’s still the question of whether or not Bradley Beal will fit it with Booker and Durant as all three are ball-dominant players. That’s a problem Frank Vogel will spend the offseason attempting to solve.
What’s Next for CP3?
It’s unlikely that Chris Paul will ever suit up for the Wizards. As mentioned, one of the reasons why the deal isn’t sealed yet is the Wizards are looking for a third team who could be interested in acquiring CP3. If no trade partner is found, the Wizards and the all-star point guard would be discussing a possible buyout agreement that would allow CP3 to become a free agent and join a contender.
Initial rumblings have the Los Angeles Clippers emerging as a front runner for Paul’s services. A reunion with their former floor general would likely coincide with the team’s last attempt to salvage a deep playoff run with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as well.
-Iggy Gonzales
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