The trade is expected to include Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, several second-round picks and pick swaps, Woj notes. The deal is expected to be completed in the coming days.
Beal is waiving his no-trade clause to join the Suns. Beal’s no-trade clause gave him a lot of power throughout this process, as he could force his way to a specific team even if they didn’t have the best offer. This is why the Wizards’ return for Beal is significantly worse than what we’ve seen in other recent blockbuster deals.
No-trade clauses are incredibly rare in the modern NBA, as Beal is the only active player with this kind of clause in his contract (and he’s one of just 10 players in NBA history to have one). Even after this trade is completed, Beal will still have the no-trade clause in his contract with the Suns.
Beal will join Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix, giving the Suns’ one of the most talented trios in the NBA (particularly on the offensive end). The Suns will acquire Beal after beating out the other finalist in this sweepstakes, the Miami Heat. Now, Miami will shift their focus to Damian Lillard and trying to acquire him from the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Phoenix is coming off of a 45-win season in which they lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Denver Nuggets, who went on to win the championship. They’re making this splashy addition in hopes of contending next year and taking advantage of their championship window.
Given how little the Suns are giving up in exchange for Beal, it’s a relatively low-risk, high-reward move. Phoenix was reportedly planning to cut Paul anyway if they couldn’t find a trade partner.
Last season, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 threes with Washington, while shooting 50.6% from the field, 36.5% from three and 84.2% from the free-throw line.
