Phoenix Suns Trade For Bradley Beal And Sportsbooks Hardly Flinch
The best part of the NBA year (the offseason) began on Father's Day, June 18 when the Phoenix Suns acquired 3-time All-Star Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
Beal to the Suns is a big trade on paper but not according to the sportsbooks. After the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals, Phoenix's odds to win the 2024 NBA title were at +700.
At the beginning of the offseason, the Suns had the 4th-best odds to win the title behind the Nuggets (+460), Milwaukee Bucks (+460), and Boston Celtics (+500), according to FOX Sports.
There are a few reasons why Phoenix's title odds hardly budged following the Beal trade. First, Beal has a very similar game to Suns All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. All three of them are iso-scorers that operate in the mid-range.
PHOENIX SUNS ADD ANOTHER ALL-STAR IN BRADLEY BEAL IN DESPERATE PURSUIT OF DEEP PLAYOFF RUN
Furthermore, the Suns didn't lose to the eventual champion Nuggets because they lacked scoring. Phoenix needed depth and defense to get past Denver. This Beal-trade brought neither depth nor defense to the Suns.
Phoenix Suns F Kevin Durant and SG Devin Booker during the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs vs. the Nuggets at the Ball Arena in Denver. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
With that in mind, the Suns were overrated in the first place. KD is on the wrong side of 30. Phoenix doesn't have a true point guard and CP3 is over-the-hill. Beal hasn't played in more than 60 games since 2019-20.
Also, the Suns don't have any rim-protecting, defensive bigs. Moving forward, the NBA is Jokic's world and everyone else is just living in it. I.e. you need an answer for Jokic to beat his Nuggets.
While a lot of NBA talking heads will rip the Suns because Beal doesn't make a ton of sense from a basketball-fit with Durant, Booker and Suns C Deandre Ayton. This has merit. But, make no mistake, Phoenix won this trade.
Former Wizards SG Bradley Beal puts up a layup vs. Suns SG Devin Booker at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Paul gets injured in the playoffs more often than not and I'd actually go as far as to say "CP3 is washed". Whereas Beal is a bonafide bucket getter and perhaps the best 3rd option for any team in the NBA.
According to my numbers (eye-ball), the Suns should have the sixth- or seventh-best odds to win the 2024 NBA title. The teams I power-rank ahead Phoenix are the Nuggets, Bucks, Celtics, Philly 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat.
If you're someone who thinks the Suns are a lock to make the NBA Finals then wait for better odds mid-season. There's a decent chance either KD or Beal misses time. Maybe you can jump in on Phoenix +1000 to win the title if so.