Bradley Beal is leaving the Washington Wizards for the primary time in his profession. Beal has been traded to the Phoenix Suns in trade for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, second spherical picks, and choose swaps, in accordance with insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania.
Beal joins a loaded Suns workforce constructed round Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Phoenix additionally retains middle Deandre Ayton on this deal, and now there shall be hypothesis that he may very well be dealt later this summer season to bolster the workforce’s depth.
Beal had a uncommon no-trade clause in his contract that primarily let him choose his vacation spot. Washington didn’t get a lot again for him apart from wage reduction. Paul will probably be minimize and be a part of the free agent market since he has {a partially} assured contract for subsequent season.
The Suns reportedly beat out the Miami Warmth and Milwaukee Bucks for Beal. Let’s grade this commerce from either side.
Suns grade: B
The Suns aren’t giving up a lot on this commerce. Paul’s physique yearly breaks down within the playoffs, and at age-38 he can not be counted on to be a serious a part of a contender. They’re primarily getting Beal for less than cash. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein occurs to be the son of Bradley Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein.
Beal turns 30 earlier than subsequent season, and has solely performed 90 video games mixed during the last two seasons due to accidents. His final elite season was 2020-21 when he averaged 31.3 factors per sport, however his scoring has leveled off to round 23 factors per sport the final two years. He now turns into essentially the most overqualified third possibility within the league, and can assist alleviate the strain Booker and Durant felt in final season’s playoffs to hold the whole lot of the Suns’ offense. A 6’4 off-guard, Beal is a profession 37.2 % shooter from three-point vary and provides one other potent offensive participant to Phoenix’s core.
The Suns nonetheless have loads of inquiries to reply. The Suns’ greatest subject within the playoffs was an absence of depth. Phoenix now has about $163 million in wage dedicated to Booker, Durant, Beal, and Ayton for subsequent season, properly above the posh tax, which can make ensuing roster strikes harder to drag off. Beal has by no means been thought-about a plus defender, and that makes him a tough match subsequent to Booker and Durant on that finish of the ground.
The large query for Phoenix is that if they’ll hold Booker, Durant, and Beal all wholesome all through the playoffs. That’s going to be tough given the shortage of sturdiness all three have proven lately. The Suns now want to search out function gamers for affordable to fill out the roster, and that’s a harmful sport. Phoenix might have been wiser going for improved depth as a substitute of attempting to land a 3rd star.
On the identical time, Phoenix didn’t surrender something of worth for Beal apart from possession’s cash. Beal has 4 years, $207.6 million remaining on his contract, and his no-trade clause comes with him. If Beal fails to ship with Phoenix, it will likely be extraordinarily exhausting for the Suns to maneuver off him. It’s a daring transfer by the Suns, but it surely doesn’t repair all their issues.
Wizards grade: D+
The Wizards in all probability may have traded Beal for a boatload of property a pair years in the past. As a substitute, they signed him to a max contract he couldn’t stay as much as, gave him a ridiculous no-trade clause, and ultimately dumped him for nothing. Washington didn’t get one asset of worth apart from the second spherical picks on this commerce, which is fairly surprising.
Washington cleaned home within the entrance workplace earlier this offseason, and the brand new group led by former Clippers govt Michael Winger is ready to tear this factor down. Tanking to the underside of the league appears like a wiser transfer than competing for the play-in match yearly. Winger and Co. had a multitude to scrub up from their predecessors, and their arms have been tied by Beal’s no-trade clause. They bought nothing again for Beal, but it surely’s additionally exhausting to assume they may have completed any higher.
The Wizards will probably be competing for the primary choose within the 2024 NBA Draft subsequent season, however there’s nobody on the extent of Victor Wembanyama looming as a possible franchise savior. As a substitute, the race for the highest choose in subsequent yr’s draft is considered as being huge open.
Count on Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis to be traded subsequent. Washington picked a path, and that was a wise transfer. It’s nonetheless simply surprising how little they really bought again for Beal even when their arms have been tied.
