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After a disappointing finish last season, the Phoenix Suns are going all-in for the 2023-24 season. A trade for superstar forward Kevin Durant during the midseason signaled a push to go for a title. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in brutal fashion by the eventual champions Denver Nuggets. It was a rough end to a season where they were considered to be favorites after the KD trade.
New owner Mat Ishbia wasted no time in making big-time moves to improve the Suns' chances at a title in 2023. They swung a trade for Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, forming a deadly combination with Durant, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Ayton (for now, at least). They've also made a couple of moves to keep their roster as competitive as possible. Which of these moves was the best? Let's analyze them.
Suns' Best Move: The Bradley Beal Trade
Let's not kid ourselves here. Yuta Watanabe, Eric Gordon, and Keita Bates-Diop are all fine players that can help the Suns in many different ways during the season. The same goes for Drew Eubanks: he's a solid backup big man who found his niche last season for the Blazers. Calling any of these moves the best move Phoenix did during the 2023 NBA free agency period is a stretch, though.
The best move that the Suns made during the 2023 NBA free agency period is also their splashiest move. During the first few days of the offseason, Phoenix moved Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, a boatload of second-round picks, and four first-round pick swaps for Bradley Beal. The move came almost out of nowhere: reports about a Beal trade were scarce, partly due to Beal's no-trade clause.
There's a few reasons why this trade is the best move that the Suns made during the free agency period. The first benefit is that it unloads Paul's gargantuan contract. Paul was a great player in his prime, but he's turning 39 next season. He's also been a lot more injury-prone over the last few seasons, even missing Phoenix's second-round loss to the Nuggets. He's had a fine career in Phoenix, but he's run his course with the team.
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Unloading Paul's contract would've already been a massive win for the Suns. However, the player they got in return makes this trade way better for Phoenix. The multitude of second-round picks enticed the Wizards enough to agree to trade Bradley Beal. Unlike CP3, Beal isn't exactly a pass-first guard (though he's definitely capable of setting the table). However, at this point, Beal is a much, much better player than CP3.
Beal's scoring prowess adds another threat to a Suns roster that already has two talented bucket-getters in Booker and Durant. There will undoubtedly be concerns about touches: all three players are elite isolation scorers who work best with the ball with them. However, both Beal and Booker have experience playing the lead guard role on a roster. Both players are willing passers who can make advanced reads and dish the ball out to the open man. Doubling any of these three guys when they're together is a massive mistake: not only can they score over you, they can dish it to the next guy.
Losing six second-round picks is rough, yes. However, the Suns' intentions are clear: they want to win NOW. Phoenix is still searching for their first-ever title, and wallowing around in the status quo will not change their fortunes. It's worth noting, though, that Phoenix technically did not lose their first-round picks: they are just pick swaps. That means they retain their first-rounders: always a good thing for any team. That's another benefit of this trade: they were able to land a star player without completely mortgaging their future.
The Suns' window to contend for a title also isn't just one year like other contenders. Including the 2023-24 season, Durant and Ayton are under contract for the next three years, per Spotrac. Booker will be on the team until the 2028 offseason. Beal's contract from the Wizards runs until 2027. The player empowerment era means that no player is guaranteed to stay for that long. However, there's at least a big chance that this core of KD, Beal, Booker, and Ayton stays together for a long time.
Star players aren't what makes a team complete: the Suns still have the entire 2023 NBA free agency period to fill out their roster. The great thing for them, though, is that they've already built a solid (albeit pricey core). Their title chances will come down to how well the front office rounds out the rest of the gang.
