The Phoenix Suns made their offseason splash when they acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. However, the season didn’t go quite as well as they would have hoped. The Suns finished with a record of 49-33, good enough for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference standings.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes explained why the Beal trade should be seen as the Suns’ biggest regret.
“Anyone who thought adding a third score-first player (at the cost of roster depth and balance) to a team that already had two elite bucket-getters did a lot of self-satisfied nodding as Phoenix posted the NBA’s worst fourth-quarter plus/minus while playing some truly uninspiring “your turn, my turn” offense,” Hughes wrote in an April 16 story.
Hughes added further details as to why this could be problematic for the Suns in the long term.
“Phoenix is bereft of draft capital after giving up four first-round swaps and six second-rounders to get Beal, and it’s still on the hook for the remaining three years and $161 million on his contract after this season. The second apron and all its roster-building hindrances looms this summer.”
Beal is in the second year of a five-year, $251 million contract. In his first season in Phoenix, Beal averaged 18.2 points per game. Though his scoring numbers took a hit, his shooting efficiency went up. Playing next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Beal shot 51.3% from the field and 43% from three.
How Bradley Beal Adjusted to New Role With Suns
In an exclusive interview with NBA.com’s Shaun Powell, Beal revealed what it’s been like to be the Suns’ third scorer behind Durant and Booker.
“Obviously, I got to pick my spots to be aggressive, but also understand we have a lot of guys who can contribute. Got to get them going and get them the ball. As we go throughout the season, I think we’re doing a good job of taking something from everyone, finding shots for everyone. That goes for everyone, not just me, Book, and KD,” Beal told Powell in a February 22 story.
The best scorers Beal played with in Washington were John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma. Durant and Booker might be better players, but the Suns have had to adjust to having three score-first All-Stars.
Suns Urged to Trade Bradley Beal
In a March 18 story, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz explained why thinks it’s in the Suns’ best interest to trade Beal.
“The trade for Bradley Beal was a questionable one at the time, given the 30-year-old’s contract. Injuries have limited the veteran guard to just 37 games this season (Beal wound up playing 50), only confirming that this trade was a mistake.”
Swartz frowned upon the trade so much that he believes a talent downgrade that would fill more holes would be better for the Suns.
“If the Suns can find a trade that makes sense for everyone (Beal still has a no-trade clause), they should do it. Even getting some quality role players back (point guard, defensive-minded wing) to put around Booker and Durant and getting off Beal’s enormous contract would be worth it.”
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