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Before the 2023 NBA trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns executed one of the biggest trades in recent memory by acquiring Kevin Durant. They needed to let go of some fantastic role players, led by Mikal Bridges, along with a plethora of draft picks, in order for the deal to be completed. New Suns owner Matt Ishbia was adamant to win now with this core, which prompted the front office to pull the trigger on the Durant deal.
Even if they failed to get past the second round this year, the Suns front office is still working on finding ways to strengthen the team's roster for the 2023-24 season. The Suns have only five players under contract for next year, which is why it is a bit ironic for the Suns to be pursuing Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, because they would have three max-contract guys on their roster if they do end up acquiring him.
The subpar depth of the Suns is already an immense issue for newly-hired head coach Frank Vogel, and that would become even more of a problem if Phoenix ends up moving for Beal. But the Suns front office sees their pursuit of Beal as a rare opportunity to acquire another star to lead their team. However, if the Suns do end up trading for Beal, they cannot include these two players in any deal.
Kevin Durant
Beal has been a star in the NBA for several years with the Wizards now, but he has not catapulted Washington to a deep playoff run, and his stellar play hasn't earned him many awards to this point in his career. With that in mind, there is no reason for Phoenix to even consider moving Kevin Durant for Beal. If the Suns were to get rid of Durant for Beal, they would take a huge step back in terms of talent, which is precisely what they don't want to do.
A Beal-Durant swap would be a plausible swap if the Suns felt it was an opportunity to sell-high opportunity on the aging Durant, but Durant's has shown no signs of slowing down yet. Conversely, the Suns must be focused on pairing Beal with Durant because it will lessen the pressure and focus on KD. It doesn't seem like this is an option the Suns are considering, but there's no world where Durant should be involved in any sort of trade for Beal.
Devin Booker
The franchise cornerstone of the Suns is an untouchable asset in pretty much any deal thrown Phoenix's way. Booker is one of the most valuable trade assets in the NBA currently, given his combination of ridiculous production at a young age, and similar to Durant, there's no deal for Beal in which Booker's inclusion would make sense
The Suns will be looking to pair up Booker and Beal in their backcourt, which will be strange to see on both ends of the floor, as both guys are superb ball-dominant scorers, but below average defenders. It doesn't really seem like they fit well on paper, and they will need to sacrifice and be selfless if they want to win a championship.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics run for Team USA, Booker knew that the roster was full of offensive-minded individuals, so he emulated Jrue Holiday and became a relentless defender during critical games for his country. That prime example has proven that Booker is willing to take a backseat if he knows that his squad will have a higher chance to win.
If the Suns do acquire Beal to supplement Durant and Booker, blending together will be a massive factor to their success. While it may be tough, it's clear that neither guy should be moved in order to make space for Beal on this team.
