Photo: Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have reportedly traded All-Star guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and several second-round picks, which includes "multiple pick swaps," league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday (June 18).
Beal joins a Suns roster that already includes perennial All-Stars in former NBA regular season and Finals MVP Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
"BREAKING: The Washington Wizards are finalizing a trade to send All-Star G Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Beal’s waiving his no-trade to form a new Big 3 with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Teams are still working thru framework, but Beal is headed to Suns," Wojnarowski tweeted.
Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, who is the father of Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein, described the trade as being "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," according to Wojnarowki.
Beal averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 points per game, while the Wizards finished the 2022-23 season with a 35-47 record, ranking 12th among 15 Eastern Conference teams.
Phoenix finished with the fourth best record in the Western Conference during the 2022-23 regular season before being eliminated by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.
Beal has been one of the NBA's best shooting guards since being selected by Washington at No. 3 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. The former Florida standout is a three-time All-Star and has averaged 22.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds, but the Wizards have only made the playoffs during five of his 11 NBA seasons, which includes missing the postseason during each of the past two seasons, as well as four of the last five seasons.