Devin Booker teaming up with 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal following trade
The Phoenix Suns featured arguably the best trio of mid-range scorers in NBA history last season. Heading into 2023-24, the franchise might be even better in that regard.
On Sunday, multiple reports indicated that the Suns are finalizing a trade for Washington Wizards three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who will now team up in Phoenix alongside two of the league’s best scorers in future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant and former Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker. Beal has been on the trade block for years now but appears to be on his way out of D.C. after waiving his no-trade clause that was part of the five-year, $251 million contract he signed last summer.
The deal is expected to be finalized in the coming days, according to reports.
A scoring threesome of Beal, Durant, and Booker could be considered the most-talented core of bucket-getters the league has ever seen on one roster. Booker is coming off a ’22-23 stretch that saw him average career-highs in points (27.8) and field goal percentage (49.4) for the Suns, which made it to the Western Conference Semifinals before flaming out against the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
With Beal headed to Phoenix, the Suns reportedly expect to send out future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, shooting guard Landry Shamet, upwards of four second-round picks, and multiple future pick swaps to the Wizards.
Although Beal, who turns 30 this month, hasn’t made an All-Star team since the ’20-21 season, he’s known as one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers. In 50 games last season for the middling Wizards, the 6-foot-4 former Florida Gator averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per outing while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three-point range, and 84.2 percent from the line.
Alongside Booker and Durant, Beal will make the Suns nearly impossible to stop on the offensive end. Phoenix also managed to retain center Deandre Ayton in the reported trade, who averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds on 58.9 percent shooting this past season — just his fifth year in the NBA. There will be valid concerns over depth (Phoenix is going to be strapped for free-agent spending money with four max contracts now on the books) and the defensive end of the floor, but with so much star power locked in for the foreseeable future, Phoenix figures to contend for an NBA title next season and beyond.
There were previous rumors surrounding the possibility of the Wizards targeting Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro in a potential Beal trade, but the Suns came with the “best” possible package to actually pull it off.
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