The Suns are toast because of the Bradley Beal trade and there’s nothing anyone can do about it

That Bradley Beal trade doesn’t look so great anymore

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Gooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thank you so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate it.

This morning, I thought, “Do I want to be the petty Wizards fan that runs around all day screaming ‘I told you so!’ to all the fans who told me the Bradley Beal trade was a raw deal for my team?”

After much thought and careful consideration, I’ve decided the answer is an unequivocal yes. Yes, I do.

I told y’all, man. I did. While everyone was online calling me a hater, there I was looking at that roster and asking myself how on Earth Phoenix expected to stop anyone. People called me a madman. They said I was a hater, y’all. Here I sit at my desk this morning completely vindicated.

The Suns are the first team eliminated from the playoffs. The Timberwolves tossed Phoenix out of the playoffs like Uncle Phil used to toss Jazzy Jeff out of his crib back in the day. The series was a clean sweep, much to the chagrin of Beal himself, who told us he refused to be swept and then gave us one of the worst playoff performances of his career. Hilarious.

The most delicious part of all this? I don’t know what the Suns are supposed to do to improve. Honestly, there’s not much to be done. This team is a chaotic mess.

Its foundation is a trio of players with redundant skill sets. On top of that, nobody seems to like the head coach anymore with The Athletic’s Shams Charania reporting that Frank Vogel’s influence in that locker room faded as the season went on.

And don’t forget, Phoenix owes the player it completely mortgaged its future for another $161 million over the next three years and can’t just trade him away because—you guessed it—he somehow finessed the Wizards to get a no-trade clause in his contract. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

To summarize, the Suns have three massive salaries on the books with no draft equity and very few exceptions available to sign other players and improve. Any big move this team makes will have to come through trade. And, well, quite frankly, it doesn’t have much to trade.

Suns fans, I don’t know where things go from here. But I know this: The ride doesn’t seem like it’ll be a very fun one. Even sitting here as a lowly Wizards fan, I do not envy you.

Thanks for everything, Candace Parker

Candace Parker #3 of the Chicago Sky celebrates after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in Game Four of the WNBA Finals to win the championship at Wintrust Arena on October 17, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

We’re truly losing one of the greats, folks. After spending one last year with the Aces, Candace Parker officially announced her retirement on Sunday.

READ MORE: Twitter reacts to Candace Parker’s retirement announcement

The announcement itself hit like a punch to the gut. Parker wrote an eloquent goodbye note on Instagram. Did I make it beyond the first paragraph? Barely. Read this, man. Tell me you don’t get the feels.

“I’m retiring. I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”

So many folks had so much love to give — Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Angel Reese, and so many more — rightfully so. She loved the game so much. It’s only right that she gets it back.

What a career it’s been. Parker has racked up so many superlatives.

The game won’t be the same without her. But it’s so much better because it had her in it.

Thanks for everything, Candace. Basketball will miss you dearly.

The end for Ovechkin?

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Speaking of sweeps, the Rangers booted the Capitals out of the NHL playoffs on Sunday night, too. That wasn’t surprising. This New York team is good. 

What was shocking, though, was that Alex Ovechkin was held pointless in the series. It’s the first time in his 19-year career that’s happened. He only had five shots on goal.

Seeing players we grew up watching hit that final wall of their career is always rough. They’ve seemed superhuman for so long. That moment when they begin to look like everyone else is so painful.

That’s what’s happening with Ovie here. He says he’s still got a few more playoff series in him. Maybe he does.

But if they’re going to look like this? I hate to say it, but it’s time.

Quick hits: Winners and losers of the NFL Draft … The Nuggets’ title defense in doubt? … and more

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski on the eight winners and losers from the NFL draft over the weekend. Shoutout to my Eagles.

— And here he is again on Jamal Murray’s calf strain, putting the Nuggets’ title defense in doubt. That’s a big injury, man.

— Knicks fans have a new mortal enemy: Joel Embiid. Trae Young is probably thrilled. Andrew Joseph has more.

— Here’s Meghan Hall on Karl-Anthony Towns stamping Anthony Edwards as a superstar.

— Bryan Kalbrosky has more on the Timberwolves rallying around Chris Finch after he tore his patellar tendon during the Suns series.

— Here’s Prince Grimes on Candace Parker completing her mission.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for rocking with me this morning. Come right back tomorrow for more. Talk soon! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️