The Phoenix Suns made a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal this summer, and there is no doubt that this move sets them up to contend next season. They are one of the favorites to get out of the Western Conference, and the team’s offense should get a huge boost with Beal on the roster.
Even though Beal is in a good situation with the Suns, they weren’t his first choice when he got traded from the Wizards, with the star recently revealing he originally wanted to join the Miami Heat.
“So, my initial favorite was Miami. And so, we call Miami. [Miami president] Pat [Riley] says well I’ll go talk to [owner] Micky [Arison] and figure it out,” Beal said per Marc Spears of Andscape. “So he goes, talks to Micky, we go, we hear back [New York] Knicks, Sacramento, Brooklyn a little bit, and then it was Milwaukee and it was one more big team … And that was kind of one of the most difficult things about every trade and every team. And I respect and love every team, but a lot of them just couldn’t do it because the money was just so high.”
During the 2023-24 season, Beal will make $46.7 million with the Phoenix Suns, and his contract could potentially last until 2027 if he picks up his player option for the 2026-27 season. Given the huge luxury tax penalties that are present with the new CBA, it is clear that Beal could greatly hamper a team’s flexibility, which is why he had limited trade interest.
Beal averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in 50 games with the Wizards last season. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant as a No. 3 option, but his ability to play without the ball suggests that the transition should work out perfectly.
The Suns Could Be Unguardable Next Season
There is no doubt that defenses will have to pick their poison when facing the Suns, as they can’t guard all of their star players at once. In fact, Kevin Durant previously explained why the Suns will be unguardable.
“You can’t guard all of us at once. Especially when guys like Booker can beat a double team. We have to play fundamentally sound ball, not turn the ball over, and we’ll be in solid shape on offense.”
It is true that offense should come easily to the Suns. Defense is where the team will have to put a lot of work in during the regular season, and their overall performance on that end under Frank Vogel could determine whether they end up winning a championship.
Bradley Beal Wants To Be An All-Star Again
With Booker and Durant on the roster, it is quite likely that Beal will have some of the easiest looks of his career. If the Suns are good, there is a chance the team will get multiple All-Stars. Beal could potentially be an All-Star for the team, especially if he performs well. In fact, Beal has already said that he wants to return to All-Star form with the Suns.
Hopefully, we will see Beal achieve his goal next season. Though it may be tough for him to make it simply because we rarely see teams get more than two All-Stars, it is certainly possible if the Suns are a top 2 seed in the Conference.
Whether or not Beal makes the All-Star team though, the Suns have bigger goals in mind other than individual awards. The team is striving to win a championship, and Beal will be huge in making that happen.
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