The recent trade made by the Phoenix Suns appears to have granted a wish made by Devin Booker nearly five years ago.
Reports from ESPN on Sunday revealed that the Suns were negotiating a trade to sign Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. The trade will send Suns duo Chris Paul and Landry Shamet to Washington, as well as several second-round picks and a pick swap.
It has been reported that the trade will take a few days to be completed. This is due to giving the Wizards time to find a third team to complete the trade in order to find a new team for Paul.
Beal’s arrival in Phoenix will see a new superstar to the team’s roster. Booker was drafted in 2015 with the 13th overall pick in the first round, and has worked his way to becoming one of the most talented players in the NBA.
He was joined by NBA legend Kevin Durant in February following a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns gave up four unprotected future first-round picks as well as three players including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder in exchange for Durant.
The Durant trade came just days after a takeover for the Suns was officially completed by Mat Ishbia. His first step was to sign a superstar, and now a second will be added to form a trio with Booker, Durant and Beal.
Beal has just finished his 11th season with the Wizards, and has enjoyed an average 22.1 points per game with a 46.0 field goal percentage. The All-NBA is also a three-time All-Star, with his most recent coming in 2021.
The news of the Beal trade has been a topic of debate ever since it first emerged. But the deal will grant a wish made by Booker nearly five years ago.
In November 2018, Booker said in an interview during his fourth season with the Suns that he would like to have a “superteam” built around him in Phoenix. Now, with three huge stars, it seems his wish has been granted.
“Dynasties only last for so long,” Booker told Yahoo Sports five years ago. “I’m not wishing trades upon any of the superteams.”
He added: “I’d like to build a superteam. I’d like the superteam to come to me.”
So far Booker has shown that he is the superstar player that the Suns will want to build their team around for many years to come. The 26-year-old averaged 27.8 points per game last season with a 49.4 field goal percentage.
With the help of Booker and Durant in the latter months of the season, the Suns managed to reach the second round of the playoffs. However, the loss to eventual NBA champions the Denver Nuggets saw the Suns fail to reach the Western Conference Finals, but the franchise will be hoping that the addition of Beal will improve their chances going into 2023/24.
