When the Washington Wizards traded Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, it was a win, but it’s about to be an even bigger win, because of the picks they are going to receive in the coming years. For as amazing as Beal was during his time in Washington—a multiple-time All-Star who was the face of the franchise—it was time for both sides to move on.
So, the Wizards sent Beal to Phoenix. It gave him a chance, at least in theory, to compete for a championship alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Obviously, that didn’t work out, and the Suns have since flipped Durant to the Houston Rockets (just this summer) and waived and stretched Beal.
Now, the Suns are about to enter a bit of a retooling phase, but the Wizards are set to reap the rewards.
Wizards will benefit from Suns’ potential rebuild
Trading Durant to the Rockets and waiving Beal was a clear signal that the Suns are about to rebuild (at least, to a degree). They extended Booker, as it’s looking more and more like he’s going to be a Sun for life, but outside of that, they reset almost everything.
Phoenix drafted Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and Koby Brea, traded for Mark Williams, and is still overseeing the development of Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
They’ve actually done a solid job of building out their young score around Booker, but in the short term, they likely won’t be competing to get out of the West. That means their draft picks for the next few years will be very valuable.
That’s where Washington went right in the Beal deal.
What Suns picks do the Wizards have?
The Beal trade that sent him to Phoenix was a three-team deal that also included the Indiana Pacers, and the full breakdown is a lengthy one. Here are the team-by-team details:
Wizards receive: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick via IND), Six second-round picks, Four future first-round pick swaps
Pacers receive: Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick via WAS), Second-round pick (via WAS), Second-round pick (via PHX)
Suns receive: Bradley Beal, Jordan Goodwin, Isaiah Todd
Those four future first-round pick swaps are the key to the entire operation, because for the next few years, the Wizards will have the option to swap first-rounders with the Suns.
Washington has done a great job of building a solid roster around their young core. Tre Johnson, Coulibaly, and Alex Sarr are going to lead the way, alongside Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, but veterans like CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton will be there to help guide them.
Now, if the Wizards are better than the Suns in 2026, 2028, or 2030, they will have the option to switch first-rounders.
And that is how the Beal trade will keep being an even bigger win for Washington as the years go on, especially in the post-Durant Phoenix era.