Should Bradley Beal Make Phoenix Suns Western Conference Favorites?
The Phoenix Suns went all in on a blockbuster trade on Sunday afternoon, acquiring Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. The finalists for Beal reportedly came down to Phoenix and Miami Heat, with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia getting the last laugh and acquiring another star talent.
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BREAKING: The Washington Wizards are trading three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, a handful of second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 18, 2023
The cost wasn’t a substantial one because of the prohibitive contract that Beal is on. Phoenix now boasts a scary starting lineup, where if the season started today, it would feature:
- Devin Booker
- Bradley Beal
- Josh Okogie
- Kevin Durant
- Deandre Ayton
After acquiring Beal from the Wizards, the Suns now boast the second-shortest odds to win the Western Conference at +320 and the fourth-shortest to win the NBA Championship at +650. Even without Beal, Phoenix would be considered contenders entering 2023-24. Still, after exiting early in the second round to the Denver Nuggets, there have at least been questions about whether or not this Suns team has the right makeup to be considered a real contender in the NBA.
This trade for Beal doesn’t address some main concerns about their lineup. They added another mid-range shooter to the mix, which they already boast in spades, led by Durant and Booker. Adding a player of a similar mold doesn’t answer our questions about how this Phoenix Suns team is built. Depth is still a significant question, and that was directly exposed in their postseason loss to the Nuggets. If anything, this move exploits their depth even more. Sure, star power typically finds a way to win out in the NBA, but the Nuggets and Heat both showed in the 2023 NBA Finals that team basketball can still elevates you to victories.
It’s clear for now that Booker, Durant, and Beal are three driving forces behind the Phoenix Suns core. Ayton is still a significant question mark, and his postseason performance didn’t leave the Suns brass with a ton of confidence, especially when he has to go head-to-head with talent like Nikola Jokic. Regardless, Ayton has the potential to be the odd man out here and be dealt to free the team of some salary, in addition to trying to acquire more bench threats and overall depth. If Ayton is ultimately dealt, that should give the Suns a better potential outlook toward winning both the Western Conference and NBA Championship.
Today, the Suns aren’t built in a way that makes sense to back their short odds. There’s a world where they can still win with this makeup of players, but it’s not one where we have a ton of confidence. With Denver’s core likely to run it back next year, it’s hard to envision a world where the Suns leapfrog Denver as favorites in the West.
All odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook.
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