A new NBA superteam is born after the Suns traded for Bradley Beal, who ultimately waived his no-trade clause to join a contender that already has the likes of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Deandre Ayton.
In exchange for Beal, the Wizards received Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and several second-round picks and pick swaps, in what was considered by many a meagre package considering Beal’s calibre.
With this move, the Heat, who lost to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals, missed out on a top scorer, so they’re now keying in on another elite shot-creator in Damian Lillard.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green declined his player option for the 2023-24 season, and the four-time NBA All-Star will have to make a huge decision on his future.
For more NBA 2023 updates, continue reading below.
What does the Beal trade mean for the Suns and Wizards?
Beal had to choose his next destination after the Wizards’ new management decided to start a rebuild. The 29-year-old, who just completed his first season of a five-year, $251 million contract that he signed last summer, has a no-trade clause, so he has full control of his destiny.
With Beal ultimately choosing to go to Phoenix, Washington no longer had leverage on the trade. They pretty much had to take whatever was offered to them or continue paying his albatross contract, which would further stall their overhaul.
Beal’s agent is Mark Bartelstein, who happens to be the son of Suns CEO Josh, an interesting fact considering this deal was completed on Father’s Day.
The burden of Beal’s behemoth contract now goes to Phoenix, as the Suns have to pay Ayton, Beal, Booker, and Durant a whopping $163 million in wages next season, putting them In the luxury tax without even having a fifth player in the starting lineup.
Other than the financial conundrum they’re in, the Suns will also have to sort out their roles because of the potential skill set overlap of Beal, Booker, and Durant. The firepower is there, but the lack of depth needs to be addressed as well, as it was exposed by the Nuggets this season in the playoffs.
Chris Paul, meanwhile, was shocked upon learning this trade, but it’s likely that he’ll be bought out by the rebuilding Wizards so that he can also join a championship contender.
The veteran point guard joined the Suns before the 2020-21 season and guided the team to its first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. This season, Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game.
Lillard plans to stay amid Heat interest
It’s been an open secret that Miami are in hot pursuit of Damian Lillard, with Jimmy Butler playing a “central role” in the Heat’s recruiting pitch.
However, Lillard has made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave the Blazers, although the ball is on Portland’s court at the end of the day.
Again, the Blazers have to make a decision about whether to keep or trade Lillard. The good news for them is that, unlike the Wizards, they have leverage in trade talks because Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause and because they have the third overall pick in this summer’s draft.
For the Heat to acquire Lillard, they would likely need to give up draft capital and potentially a young star like Tyler Herro. They could also add Kyle Lowry to the package to help match salaries in a potential deal.
The sentiment among the Heat organisation is that Lillard is the missing piece in their pursuit of a championship. If they somehow pull this off, they’re going to be a heavy title favourite in the SBOTOP NBA 2023 odds.
Green gets green light to possibly choose his next team
Draymond Green just declined his $27.6 million player option to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.
Green opting out doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll join another team, although he’ll be coveted by rival teams this offseason, such as the Lakers.
The 33-year-old forward has been a pillar of the Warriors dynasty over the past decade, mainly because of his passion and elite defence.
Green averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game this season, but there were questions about his standing with the club after he punched teammate Jordan Poole last preseason, among other antics.
However, there’s a strong belief that the Warriors management’s main priority is to bring Green back at the behest of Steph Curry to run it back with the same core for at least one more season.
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