Just want to see how you feel about the trade a year later.
In mid June of last year, the Washington Wizards made their biggest trade to officially kick off their current rebuild by trading Bradley Beal, Isaiah Todd and Jordan Goodwin to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, some first round draft pick swaps and second round picks. Paul was later traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole.
We aren’t quite one calendar year removed from the Beal trade. But both the Wizards’ and Suns’ seasons are now over. So which team is winning the deal?
The Wizards and Suns trade
The Wizards received
- Chris Paul, who ultimately got traded for a package headlined by Jordan Poole
- Landry Shamet
- First round pick swap options in 2024, 2026, 2028, 2020
- The Suns’ original second round picks for 2024-2028 and 2030
- Cash
The Suns received
- Bradley Beal
- Jordan Goodwin
- Isaiah Todd
Which team is doing better after the 2023-24 season?
If you look at simple wins and losses, the Suns did better than the Wizards. They were 49-33, won the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Beal played 53 regular season games, averaging 18.2 points and 5 assists per game. He re-discovered his shooting touch thanks to playing alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, making 46.1 percent of his threes (1.9 MAKES per game).
Of course, the Suns traded for Beal and wanted him to be the X factor behind a deep playoff run. Instead, the Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Beal didn’t play well in the postseason, said he’d be damned if he got swept … and … his team was. That certainly made some Wizards fans feel schadenfreude.
As for the Wizards, they had their worst season in franchise history with a 15-67 record. Poole, the player they indirectly traded Beal for (via Paul), had an inconsistent season and found himself a punching line early on by the national media.
Sure, Washington had the worse season, but they intended to write this season off anyway, at least for postseason purposes. They will have a high pick in next year’s draft and a lot of second round picks from the Suns. And if Phoenix begins a rebuild before the decade is over, it could be the Wizards who are laughing their way to the bank, in the form of first round pick swaps.
So, now it’s time to vote! Who do you think won the trade? Let us know by voting in the poll below! And give us your thoughts in the comments too!