Bradley Beal trade and 5 other regrettable Suns moves James Jones botched

1. Bradley Beal trade

The Suns could not resist adding a third star next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but they had limited assets. Phoenix wanted to dump Chris Paul, and Beal was available. He had a no-trade clause and wanted to join the Suns, so the two sides worked it out. It cost Phoenix Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, six second-round picks, and four first-round swaps, but the Suns made a massive mistake in the deal.

Beal’s massive contract was bad enough. They owed him more than $200 million over four years, but the Suns allowed him to keep his no-trade clause. Washington’s return was so light because of it and now he is stuck in Phoenix unless he agrees to be moved.

Beal has not played more than 60 games in a season since 2019. He turns 31 this summer, but can the Suns count on him to be healthy, especially when the games matter most? It was a disastrous first season and things may only get worse from here. They are virtually locked into their roster after a first-round playoff exit. Can the Suns make their Big 3 work? It certainly won’t be easy.

James Jones helped the Phoenix Suns go from the lottery to the NBA Finals. They felt close to a championship before going all-in on star talent. Can Jones find a way to get them back into title contention? The Suns are still searching for their first championship and owner Mat Ishbia is eager to win. Expect Phoenix to stay bold and aggressive, and stay tuned to see how it plays out.