Bradley Beal will not be joining the Boston Celtics this summer. Instead, the three-time All-Star is headed to the Phoenix Suns thanks to an early offseason transaction. According to multiple reports, the Washington Wizards are sending Beal to the Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and several second round picks. Just a few months removed from landing Kevin Durant, Phoenix continues to swing for the fences in building a contender out West.
Boston was reportedly never a major player in the Beal sweepstakes, but his St. Louis ties to Jayson Tatums kept rumors alive. (In fact, Beal used to walk Tatum to school as children.) Likewise, if you squinted, you could see a nucleus of Tatum, Beal, and Jaylen Brown making sense if you were willing to sacrifice depth and any financial flexibility. Regardless, any such hope or fear of a deal centered around Beal between the Celtics and Wizards can officially be put to bed.
That doesn’t mean Washington isn’t a team to keep an eye on. Not only is it likely the Wizards are about to embark on a full-scale tear down, but it remains to be seen what happens to veteran point guard Chris Paul. Washington will first seek to find a trade partner, but a buyout could also be in the cards if no such deal materializes. As such, the Celtics could become real suitors. Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert could also be names to monitor.