The San Antonio Spurs went out this summer to enhance their roster, centered on 20-year-old sensation Victor Wembanyama. A deal for Bradley Beal might benefit them now and in the future.
In an August 16 piece, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed a transaction between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns.
Spurs acquire: Beal, 2026 second-round pick (via DEN), 2031 second-round pick (via DEN), and 2031 second-round pick (via PHO).
Suns acquire Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagnie.
“They [the Spurs] wouldn’t be parting with anyone of real consequence to nab a three-time All-Star who once averaged 30-plus points in back-to-back seasons,” he wrote. “Moreover, they’d get a clear view of what having a high-end perimeter shot-creator might mean for Victor Wembanyama, potentially helping to shape their long-term blueprint.”
Beal is a three-time All-Star and a true three-level scorer. However, his deal is regarded one of the worst in the NBA. The 31-year-old guard’s contract has three years remaining and a guaranteed salary of $103.8 million.
Phoenix’s asset pool is limited. They leaned heavily on their nucleus of Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. However, San Antonio should find enough motivation behind three potential seconds to add a true scorer behind Wembanyama.
Beal ended his debut year with the Suns with an average of 18.2 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 54 games.
San Antonio Should Balance Focus on Present, Future
Few teams leave the draft with players like Wembanyama. Even fewer can claim to have won a title with that guy when all is said and done. The Spurs will surely strive to be one of those teams in the future.
At the age of 20, Wembanyama already appears like a future superstar. That is why preparing the San Antonio teams of the future must be as vital as surrounding him with talent today.
Buckley’s offering for Beal isn’t the ideal trade for the Spurs. However, it is the type of deal they should contemplate for the next season, if not two, as Wembanyama builds on his outstanding rookie season.
For all of the hype surrounding his silver medal finish at the Paris Olympics this summer, there is little (if any) hope that he will lead the current San Antonio group to a championship run.
That should not rule out any potential transactions for the Spurs, who signed Chris Paul earlier this summer with a Wembanyama focus. However, some moves should be considered non-starters for a squad 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, San Antonio would undoubtedly consider partnering them with Wembanyama.
However, until that option becomes available, agreements that return assets and talent should be prioritized.
Beal would not be the same salary cap anchor for the Spurs as he has been for the Suns. He’d bring senior leadership and some safety net scoring to play with a rising star in Wembanyama.
While future second-round picks rarely make headlines, when players like Curry or Doncic become available, they are critical assets in securing the next talent.
Marc Stein: Bradley Beal Likely Starting Next Season in Phoenix
After making a big splash for Beal in June 2023, the Suns went 49-33 last season. Their “Big 3” combined for just 862 minutes, and the Minnesota Timberwolves swept them in the first round of the playoffs.
But they aren’t given up on their superstar trifecta just yet. Marc Stein, a longtime NBA insider, stated before to the 2024 NBA Draft that Phoenix is “insistent” on entering next season with all of Beal, Booker, and Durant.
“The Suns are insistent that they want to start next season with their Kevin Durant-Booker-Bradley Beal trio intact to see what they can achieve under new coach Mike Budenholzer,” Stein said on June 26, 2018.
If their stance changes, the Spurs are one of the few clubs who could accept a salary like Beal’s. And the return isn’t bad for a team in need of roster depth, as Buckely pointed out.
“The Suns, meanwhile, might pounce on any Beal deal they could find, but they’d be getting more than scraps from San Antonio,” according to Buckley. “Barnes is a solid, three-and-D support piece, Johnson is an ignitable scorer, and Champagnie is building a three-and-D base.”
Barnes is 32 years old and is coming off his 12th NBA season. Last season, however, he averaged 12.2 points on 38% three-point shooting for the Sacramento Kings. He’s the type of guy that Phoenix (or San Antonio, as they demonstrated this summer) should buy low on.
Beal is one of the rare players with a no-trade clause. So any arrangement would need his approval before it could be finalized. But if Phoenix struggles this season, the Spurs might make a convincing offer for a player nearing the end of his peak.
