NBA Trade Idea Sends $251M Star From Phoenix Suns to LA Clippers

The Phoenix Suns were arguably the NBA’s biggest disappointment last season. Swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix failed to win a single playoff game after being touted as one of the title favorites in the offseason.

Dealing for star guard Bradley Beal last summer, Phoenix paired the three-time All-Star with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to form one of the NBA’s most talented trios. While injuries significantly limited this trio’s time on the court together, they were each healthy for Phoenix’s opening round series against Minnesota, and could not win a single game.

While Suns owner Mat Ishbia has maintained Phoenix is committed to contending with this star trio, trade speculation remains.

NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong.
My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta…
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) June 26, 2024

In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed a hypothetical four-team trade that lands Beal with the LA Clippers:

Clippers Receive: SG Bradley Beal, 2031 first-round pick (unprotected via Phoenix Suns), 2025 second-round pick (via Sacramento Kings), 2028 second-round pick (via Chicago Bulls)

San Antonio Spurs Receive: G/F Zach LaVine, 2029 first-round pick (unprotected via Chicago Bulls)

Suns Receive: SG Norman Powell, F/C Zach Collins, F/C P.J. Tucker

Chicago Bulls Receive: F Keldon Johnson, G/F Terance Mann, G Bones Hyland, SG Amir Coffey

Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant — Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and guard Bradley Beal (3) and forward Kevin Durant (35) stands on the floor during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. | Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Beal is entering the third year of his five-year, $251M contract that has a $57M player option for 2026-27. This alone likely makes any deal a non-starter for the Clippers and many other teams who want to maintain financial flexibility under the league’s new restrictive CBA.

Additionally, if a trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden was not formidable enough in the Western Conference, replacing George with a player more injury prone and less productive makes little sense.

Paul George says losing Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum really hurt the Clippers:

“We started the year off hot. Everybody was playing well, there was the energy there. It was kinda like the first time of us all being healthy with Russ now. It was the emergence of what it’s… pic.twitter.com/XzTdYkx0J3
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) June 19, 2024

All of this makes the hypothetical Beal trade one the Clippers likely turn down, but that unprotected 2031 first round pick via Phoenix is valuable, especially for an LA franchise with minimal future draft assets.

Beal is still a very talented and efficient scorer (18.2 points on 51/43/81 splits last season), but a backcourt of he and Harden would be difficult to sustain defensively, and the Clippers would be on the hook for a contract many deem un-tradable.

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