On Sunday, the Washington Wizards did something fans have been clamoring for them to do for quite a while. The team traded star player Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for aging point guard Chris Paul, reserve Landry Shamet, two second-round picks, and pick swaps. The move signals that the Wizards under new front office leadership wants to start fresh. The deal can’t be finalized until the free agency period opens June 30. Until then the Wizards are open to working with Paul if the future Hall of Famer wants to join a contender.
Either way, the Wizards will be rid of Beal and his massive four years and $207 million remaining on his contract. The real kicker in the deal was Beal’s no-trade clause, which gave the three-time All-Star the right to choose where he’d like to play. That clause completely handicapped the Wizards’ leverage and limited what they could receive in turn for Beal.
In the end, the sharpshooter chose Phoenix, where he’ll join Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and for now often disgruntled big man DeAndre Ayton.
In wake of the move Beal now goes from the doldrums of D.C. to the Valley of the Sun, where he instantly becomes a championship contender.
Beal’s Agent Chimes In, Thanks Wizards Brass
Following news of the blockbuster move, Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein graciously thanked Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and first-year President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger for their efforts to get the deal done.
“This was an extremely complicated process with so many different hurdles to get through and Ted Leonsis and Michael Winger were unbelievable partners in making this happen,” Bartelstein told ESPN. “From the day that Ted drafted Brad he has been our side along with [former general managers] Ernie Grunfeld and Tommy Sheppard. They’ve always had Brad’s back in every way and now we have experienced the same thing with Ted and Michael Winger. We are extremely grateful.”
New Suns Owner Pulling Out All The Stops
While Beal’s tenure didn’t bear much fruit with the Wizards, he’ll join a roster top-heavy in talent. New Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia has been a pretty busy man since purchasing the team this season. The former Michigan State walk-on under Tom Izzo traded for superstar Kevin Durant in February prior to the trade deadline.
Now he adds Beal, a 29-year-old who boasts career averages of 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in his 10 NBA seasons. For the Suns, this is expected to be part of their quest to win a championship, and with Durant, Booker, Beal, and Ayton that’s a great start. The move gives the Suns four max contract players, meaning a huge luxury tax bill is coming, but Ishbia knew that and still wanted to do the deal.
That pretty makes it a championship-or-bust situation in Phoenix, but it’s also something that’s plausible based on the talent alone. How they mesh Beal with the other three will be key, but if you’re first-year head coach Frank Vogel it’s a good problem to have.
