Bradley Beal has finally been traded. After years of wondering will they or won't they, the Washington Wizards traded their franchise cornerstone to the Phoenix Suns, commencing a rebuild while a new big three forms.

While the details of the deal are not yet final, the crux of it is that Beal and Jordan Goodwin are going to the Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and draft picks/swaps. Beal's bloated contract made the Wizards' return less than ideal but it should still give them some assets to help them in the long run. Meanwhile, Beal joins forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to form a crazy star trio.

Let's discuss the biggest winners and losers after the Suns' acquisition of Beal.

Winner: Bradley Beal

Beal locked himself into the Wizards' mess by continuing to sign contract extensions there. It's surely hard to turn down over $250 million and a no-trade clause but he nonetheless stuck his future to a hapless franchise for years. Now, Beal is a part of a playoff-caliber team again.

With the weight of being a first option lifted, Beal should be able to consistently contribute in areas of the game like defense, spot-up shooting and attacking closeouts. His three-point percentage was hovering around 40 percent when he had John Wall to set him up. With two stars to his advantage, he should be able to bump his efficiency back up. And having him around to create for them should greatly help, too.

Plenty of jokes were made at the Suns' expense about how they have no depth. It's true that they will almost certainly not have a very impressive bench. But for a playoff team with such great star power, they really only need to go eight or nine deep when it matters. They’re not too far off from having good enough depth.

Around their big three, the Suns already have Deandre Ayton and Cam Payne. Goodwin could be a solid rotation player because of his solid defense. Phoenix should have no problem recruiting veteran role players with a legitimate championship contention as a negotiating point. New owner Mat Ishbia is clearly not afraid of spending money, so the Suns could buy a draft pick in the 30 to 45 range (though it would take proper scouting, which hasn’t been their M.O. in quite a bit, to find a good player).

New head coach Frank Vogel doesn’t seem to be a great fit for this squad, as his teams have always been much more oriented toward defense. But perhaps his philosophies can balance out with his stars' talents and make the Suns a force to be reckoned with. Beal does come with injury concerns (as does Durant) but when you can form a team with this much talent, it's hard to say no.

Loser: Miami Heat (for now)

The Miami Heat were the other team in the running for Beal until the very end. They know that Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are so close to the ultimate goal and need a boost to get there. Beal could have been that boost but Miami really wanted someone else.

After the Suns landed Beal, it was reported that the Heat made an offer that wasn’t all that great and that their hope is now that Damian Lillard will ask out. The Portland Trail Blazers do not seem as likely to make their franchise star available, which is the biggest obstacle facing Miami.

Although Lillard would make for a bigger upgrade than Beal, his availability is still not clear. The Heat knew Beal was up for grabs but decided to only take a minor stab at trading for him instead of making it a legitimate priority. Going with a half measure in the pursuit of Beal understandably allowed the Suns to pass them with a better offer.

Since landing Butler, the Heat have been mentioned as suitors in numerous star trades over the years with nothing to show for it (unless you count an aging Kyle Lowry). They may have missed one of their best chances to surround Butler and Adebayo with a star that fits like a glove with them. It's up to Portland general manager Joe Cronin and team owner Jody Allen to decide if the Heat will get their preferred trade target.

Winner: Devin Booker

Remember when lots of NBA fans were convinced that Booker was only good for empty stats and that neither he nor the Suns would ever amount to much? How time flies.

Yes, the Suns are coming off of two second-round exits that featured abysmal series-clinching losses. But things haven’t looked this bright for Phoenix in a very long time. Injury concerns to Beal and Durant notwithstanding, Booker is surrounded by a supremely talented core.

The Suns were the model franchise for ineptitude when they drafted Booker. The days of bringing in love goats that crapped on the floor of the team's facility, key starters saying they straight up don’t want to be here, shuffling through head coaches and giving heavy minutes to players that fizzled out of the league after leaving the desert are over.

Booker said in 2018 that he wants to build a superteam with the Suns. He has hit a lot of tough shots over the years but this one is perhaps his best yet. The Suns still have to complete the roster around their new big three but the hopes are high.

 

Loser: The NBPA

The new CBA rules have loomed over the offseason as front offices look to get their teams in place without triggering the second apron, which brings penalties that make it harder to make moves in the margins for the most expensive teams. The prevailing narrative was that NBPA president CJ McCollum and the players' association wanted to make it harder for superteams to form. It's hard to make an opposing case considering the agreement it took for the ratification of said rules in the new CBA.

Even though the new rules are expected to take effect next offseason, the Suns clearly do not care. Adding Beal to the salaries of Durant, Booker and Ayton just about ensures that Phoenix will be subject to the new penalties. Ishbia and the Suns' front office certainly knew they ran the risk of losing out on the ability to use cash in trades or use the taxpayer mid-level exception, among others. They weren’t bothered. New star trio go brrrrr.

We'll see how the new rules affect team building once they are officially put into effect. But if this Suns trade is any implication, there will still be teams out there unafraid to make massive splashes and test the limitations of the new CBA.

Winner: Wizards fans

It's officially rebuilding time in the nation's capital. The Wizards had no shot at becoming a title contender with its current core and took the first big step toward a direction. It's a direction that will lead to a lot of losing in the short term but has the potential to pay high-end dividends that the other path did not.

With Beal gone, the Wizards can turn their attention to trading veterans like Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Delon Wright and Monte Morris. Although they owe their protected 2024 first-round pick to the New York Knicks, they have some other picks and a young roster to move forward with.

The Wizards will now turn their attention to the 2023 NBA Draft, likely targeting a guard and putting young players in place to tank in the 2023-24 season.