Phoenix Suns Poised To Acquire Bradley Beal In Trade Deal With Washington Wizards

Photo: Instagram/Bradley Beal

According to multiple reports, the Phoenix Suns are on the verge of finalizing a trade deal with the Washington Wizards to acquire All-Star guard Bradley Beal.

Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed that the deal is currently in progress. As part of the trade, the Suns will be sending Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, a package of future second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps to Washington, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.

A noteworthy aspect of this trade is that Beal has waived his no-trade clause to join the Suns, according to Bartelstein. Although there is a possibility of involving a third team in the deal, primarily to acquire Paul, the main framework has already been established.

Photo: Instagram/Bradley Beal

Beal, who has spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the Wizards after being selected third overall in the 2012 Draft, is a three-time All-Star and has maintained impressive averages of 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists throughout his tenure with the team. This marks the second significant acquisition made by Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who recently took over the team in February.

Prior to the Beal trade, Ishbia orchestrated a major move to bring Kevin Durant to Phoenix, utilizing a combination of players and first-round draft picks. With Beal joining Durant and Devin Booker, the Suns now boast three active players in the NBA who have played at least 500 games while averaging a minimum of 22 points per game.

However, the acquisition of Beal and Durant comes at a cost for the Suns, as their combined salaries for the upcoming season amount to approximately $130 million. This places a significant financial burden on the team, including luxury tax implications, as they seek to contend for an NBA championship.

Beal, in particular, is entering the second year of a potentially lucrative five-year, $251 million contract, with the last year being at his option and earning him $57.1 million. In total, Beal is owed around $207.7 million over the next four years.

On the other side of the trade, Chris Paul, a 12-time All-Star and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, is heading to the Wizards. Despite averaging a career-low 13.9 points in the previous season, Paul contributed significantly with 8.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game across 59 appearances.

The 37-year-old guard still has two seasons remaining on the four-year contract he signed with Phoenix in 2021, a deal that was secured after helping lead the Suns to the NBA Finals.

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Source: NBA