The Phoenix Suns have been one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA this offseason.
It was clear they were going to make the moves necessary to compete for a championship.
That is why they traded away point guard Chris Paul in a deal to acquire Bradley Beal.
Beal is younger than Paul and a better scorer.
Even though Beal may not fit into their roster he is a star player and that is what the Suns want.
But when Beal first heard the Suns were interested in him he thought they would have to give up a different star.
According to “SLAM” (via NBACentral), Beal thought he could be traded to the Suns for Devin Booker.
Bradley Beal admits he was surprised at a potential trade to Phoenix being in play
“I was like, Why are they trading Book? Like there’s no way that this is happening.”
(Via @SLAMonline ) pic.twitter.com/rRbWhiHVJy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 26, 2023
The Suns would have never traded Booker to acquire Beal.
But, Beal thinks more of his value than NBA teams do.
Due to his massive contract, not many teams were willing to give up a lot for his services.
That is why he ended up in Phoenix for Paul and some draft picks.
The Suns now have championship-or-bust expectations next year.
A team of Beal, Booker, and Kevin Durant should be plenty good to win the Western Conference.
But the health of those players will be the biggest concern.
Durant has not played more than 55 games in a season since 2018-19, while Beal has played 90 games in total over the last two years.
There is almost no chance this Big Three plays the full season together.
But having them healthy for the playoffs is the most important thing.
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