This offseason, without a doubt one of the most prominent names that will constantly be found linked to trade chatter is Wizards star Bradley Beal. Per reports, Washington's GM Will Dawkins is mulling the idea of a possible full-fledged franchise rebuild and, in such an event, their All-Star guard would be a hot ticket on the trade market.

While it's safe to say a majority of the other 29 teams across the association will show an interest in attaining Beal's services, one intriguing organization has recently been rumored to be very open to such a transaction.

The Suns are currently being viewed as a club that has the Wizards “seriously contemplating trade offers” for the veteran, according to David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. 

It's all but certain that Phoenix's interest in Bradley Beal also likely suggests that they are looking to formulate a new-look Big 3 consisting of him, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant which, without a doubt, would be one of the most menacing trios in he association heading into 2023-24.

That said, despite the allure of rostering such star power on one team, we at ClutchPoints believe there to be two major reasons why the Suns should strongly consider steering clear of such a blockbuster exchange.

Why Suns should avoid Bradley Beal No. 1) Gutted Depth

This past season, the Phoenix Suns made the splashy decision to go all-in on a title push by striking a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline to land Kevin Durant.

One of the league's few true superstars and a top-75 player in league history, the idea of bringing on such a talent was believed to be the win-now type of transaction to help thrust the franchise over the hump and, in turn, bring them their first ever NBA Championship.

However, though the decision provided the Suns with an astonishing amount of firepower up top, the trade package it took to land Durant completely gutted the depth behind the likes of him, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton which, in turn, proved to be a major factor in the club's ultimate demise in just the second round of the playoffs.

For Phoenix, taking part in a blockbuster for Bradley Beal this summer would have a similar effect as the one the mid-season Nets deal did, if not worse when considering the team already finds itself with limited quality contributors outside of their stars.

Per Aldridge and Robbins' report, general manager James Jones would consider sending a package consisting of “center Deandre Ayton and additional cap filler or include future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to the Wizards.”

To simplify things a bit, this exchange would lock up roughly $129 million in salary among just three players (Durant, Beal, and Booker) while the front office would be tasked with trying to piece together a supporting cast with minimal assets at their disposal to utilize on the trade market and mere pennies to spend in free agency.

Already their rotational depth is barren. Trading for Bradley Beal would only make matters worse.

 

Why Suns should avoid Bradley Beal No. 1) Injury Risk

As noted, a major catalyst in the club's semifinal demise during this past year's postseason was their lacking depth on the roster.

Unfortunately, this factor was put on full display from the time they acquired Durant onward, as he and Chris Paul were both hobbled due to varying injuries while Devin Booker saw significant time on the sidelines earlier on in the year due to health-related ailments as well.

Considering their lackluster assortment of reserves, should the Suns look to make a trade this summer, it should be in pursuit of individuals who are proven trusty commodities that boast good odds of suiting up on a relatively regular basis.

Bradley Beal, as talented as he is, is not someone who fits this description… at least, not over the last few seasons.

Coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he saw just 50 games of action, the shooting guard is heading into this next season fresh off a myriad of injuries. Though missing 32 games seems to be a lot (and it is), it's actually an improvement from the season prior, where he missed a whopping 42 games due to a wrist injury that required surgery.

Since 2020-21, Beal has missed a total of 86 games.

A championship-hopeful team needs to have a trusty collection of contributors, and especially needs their stars to be depended upon to suit up on a nightly basis. Bradley Beal is many things, but trustworthy in the availability department is not one of them.