Washington Wizards trading Bradley Beal to Phoenix Suns
Rumors had swirled around Bradley Beal’s availability via a trade around the NBA over the course of this past week. Now, those rumors have become reality as the three-time All-Star is officially leaving the nation’s capital and heading to the Valley of the Sun.
Per reports from Shams Charania, the Washington Wizards officially traded Beal to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon. In return, they received Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and an assortment of picks and swaps.
Beal spent over a decade in Washington after they drafted him third in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Florida. In almost 700 games with the franchise, he averaged 22.1 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. He also shot 46% from the field as well as 37.2% from three. That production earned him a singular All-NBA selection in 2021 when he averaged a career-high of 31.1 points per game.
Now, Beal leaves Washington as the Wizard’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,512) and attempted (4,070). He also is second all-time behind Wes Unseld in points (15,391) and third all-time in games and minutes played.
As for Phoenix, rumors had also been picking up regarding their interest in potentially moving on from Paul. Since joining the Suns in 2020, he has made a pair of All-Star appearances and led the NBA in assists. CP3 also helped take the team to their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1993.
Still, the miles started to show this season for the 38-year-old. With that in mind, that made him a very intriguing trade chip for a franchise who already made a blockbuster deal earlier this year for Kevin Durant. They acquired him by giving Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and several draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets.
This means that Durant and Beal will pair alongside Devin Booker, as well as Deandre Ayton for now, to give Phoenix one of the most potent scoring trios in the association heading into next year. During the ’22-’23 season, those three combined to average just over 80 points per game.
New Suns owner Matt Ishbia has flexed his muscles in his short time as majority owner to give Phoenix a genuine shot at the NBA Finals. With this deal now made for Beal and several other necessary roster moves likely to follow, this is a decision that should very well keep the Suns right in the thick of things when it comes to the next campaign in the NBA.