The Phoenix Suns are among the teams most likely to land Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal, according to Shams Charania. The Miami Heat have long been a contender for Beal, but Charania is reporting the Suns have come on late as a contender for the shooting guard.
Here’s a look at some packages Phoenix could put together to get Beal to the desert.
NBA Trade Machine: Bradley Beal to Suns
Trade 1
Suns get: Bradley Beal
Wizards get: Deandre Ayton, Landry Shamet, 2024 1st round swap, 2026 1st round swap
There’s not much Washington can get in terms of future picks, since the draft cupboard is bare for Phoenix after trading for Durant. Ayton would be a replacement for Kristaps Porzingis if the Wizards don’t want to bring him back, and Shamet is a capable veteran shooter. The Suns would likely want to keep Shamet if possible, but Ayton is almost certainly part of the framework here. Chris Paul should be in discussions as well.
This isn’t a great deal for Washington unless the front office believes in Ayton as a future star. The Wizards are entering a true rebuild by dealing Beal, and they’d have to be sure of the young player they’re getting to shape the roster around. Ayton hasn’t exactly shown that in Phoenix, but maybe the change of scenery will help him.
Trade 2
Suns get: Bradley Beal, Daniel Gafford
Wizards get: Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, 2024 1st round swap, 2026 1st round swap
The Suns get Gafford back to make up for Ayton’s departure, and this also opens up more minutes for Ayton in Washington. Paul can be dumped in this deal, but he’ll elevate Washington’s young players quickly. Shamet remains in the deal as a quality rotation player.
This deal essentially has the same framework as the first trade but gives the Suns a big man back while also opening up the lead guard spot for Devin Booker. Booker showed he could be a strong ball-handling guard in this offense, and the Suns could go further with him having even more usage. Paul can serve as a veteran mentor for the young guys in Washington. The Wizards likely don’t bring back Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma in free agency in this deal, and move forward with Ayton as the centerpiece of the rebuild.