Warriors and Lakers Proposed Trade Destinations for Phoenix Suns Star

Will the Phoenix Suns look to trade Bradley Beal?
Dec 12, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) against Phoenix
Dec 12, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) against Phoenix / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns suffered an embarrassing first round sweep at the hand of the Minnesota Timberwolves, failing to win a single playoff game after assembling a big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. The early exit has led some to believe the Suns may look to move Beal this summer, as the three-time All-Star is owed roughly $161M over the next three seasons (which includes his $57.1M player option for the 2026-27 seasons).

Trading a contract of this size is always difficult, but when considering Beal's overall production and availability this season, along with the league's incredibly restrictive CBA, the Suns will have a hard time finding any takers for him. That said, in a recent article from Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings were named as the best fits for Beal in the event Phoenix looks to move him.

It's important to note that this is the opinion of Swartz, and not sourced reporting on any interest from Los Angeles, Golden State, or Sacramento, but would a Beal trade to any of those Pacific Division teams make sense? Both the Lakers and Warriors are expected to check in on the availability of different stars this summer, but the two teams would likely have to exhaust a long list of other trade targets before considering Beal - if they even would at all.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.