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Bradley Beal handling the ball during a March 23 game against the San Antonio Spurs.
THE San Antonio Spurs has set itself the goal this summer of improving the squad around the 20-year-old phenomenon Victor Wembanyama. An exchange for Bradley Beal could benefit their present and future.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has written up a proposed deal between San Antonio and the Phoenix Suns in a column from August 16.
Spurs receive: Beal, 2026 second-round pick (via DEN), 2031 second-round pick (via DEN), and 2031 second-round pick (via PHO)
The Suns receive: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson And Julien Champagnie
“They [the Spurs] “We wouldn’t part with someone truly significant to grab a three-time All-Star who has already averaged 30 points or more in back-to-back seasons,” Buckley wrote. “Plus, they would have a clear vision of what having a high-level shot creator could mean for Victor Wembanyama, which could potentially help shape their long-term plan.”
Beal is a three-time All-Star and a three-time scorer. But his contract is considered one of the worst in the NBA. The 31-year-old point guard has three years left on his contract and $103.8 million is guaranteed on his deal.
Phoenix’s asset pool is limited. They’ve put everything they’ve put into their core business, Beal, Devin BookerAnd Kevin Durant. But San Antonio should find enough motivation behind the next three seconds to add a real goalscorer behind Wembanyama.
Beal finished his first year with the Suns averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 54 regular-season appearances.
San Antonio should find a balance between present and future
Few teams leave a draft with a player like Wembanyama. Even fewer can boast of winning a championship with that player. The Spurs undoubtedly want to be one of those teams in the future.
At 20, Wembanyama already has all the makings of a superstar in the making. That’s why building San Antonio’s teams of the future is just as important as surrounding him with talent today.
Buckley’s offer for Beal isn’t a perfect deal for the Spurs. But it’s the kind of deal they should consider over the next season or two as Wembanyama continues to build on his stellar rookie campaign.
For all the excitement surrounding his silver medal at the Paris Olympics this summer, there is little (if any) optimism that he can lead the current San Antonio team to a championship title.
That shouldn’t stop Spurs from making deals, as they have made a Wembanyama-centric signing in Chris Paul earlier this summer. But that should rule out some trades as non-starters for a team built around a 20-year-old.
There will always be exceptions to the rule. If a player like Stephen Curry Or Luka Doncic became available, then naturally San Antonio would study the possibility of associating them with Wembanyama.
But until that deal becomes an option, deals that bring back assets and talent should be the priority.
Beal wouldn’t be the same salary cap pillar he became for the Suns, with the Spurs. He would bring veteran leadership and a safety net to slot in next to a budding superstar like Wembanyama.
And while future second-round picks don’t exactly grab headlines, when players like Curry or Doncic become available, they’re necessary assets to secure that next talent.
Marc Stein: Bradley Beal expected to start next season in Phoenix
After pulling off the Beal coup in June 2023, the Suns went 49-33 last season. Their Big 3 played only 862 minutes togetherand they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But they haven’t given up on their star trio yet. Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft that Phoenix was “insisting” on starting next season with Beal, Booker and Durant.
“The Suns insist they want to start next season with their Kevin Durant-Booker-Bradley Beal trio intact to see what they can accomplish under new coach Mike Budenholzer,” Stein wrote on June 26.
If their position changes, the Spurs will be one of the few teams that could accept a salary like Beal’s. And the return isn’t bad for a team that needs depth on its roster, as Buckely noted.
“The Suns, meanwhile, could jump on any contract for Beal, but they’d get more than just scraps from San Antonio,” Buckley continued. “Barnes is a solid defensive backstop, Johnson is a go-to scorer and Champagnie is building a defensive foundation.”
Barnes is 32 and just finished his 12th NBA campaign. But he still averaged 12.2 points on 38 percent three-point shooting last season with the Sacramento KingsHe’s exactly the kind of player a team like Phoenix (or San Antonio, as they demonstrated this summer) should buy cheap.
Beal is one of the few players with a no-trade clause, so any deal would need his approval before it can be finalized. But if things go south in Phoenix this season, the Spurs could make a compelling offer for a player nearing the end of his prime.
Collin Loring covers the NBA, WNBA, and MLB for Heavy.com, where he has been a contributor since 2021. His sports coverage has also been featured on FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Strickland. Learn more about Collin Loring
