The Wizards have made their trade of former All-NBA guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns official, certifying a complex deal that marks the end of one of the most distinguished careers in franchise history and represents a significant change in the organization’s overall direction moving forward .
Beal, who turns 30 later this month, leaves Washington after 11 seasons. He made the All-Star team three times, led them to the playoffs in five of those years and exits just 160 points short of the franchise’s all-time scoring record, held for 42 years by Elvin Hayes.
Beal’s departure closes the book on an era for the Wizards that dates back to 2010 when they drafted John Wall with the first overall pick. They underwent a years-long rebuild and along the way acquired Beal third overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Beal quickly blossomed into a talented young scorer and, after shaking some injury issues early in his career, became a star. He signed three contract extensions to remain in Washington, including one in 2019 as they were transitioning with a new front office led by Tommy Sheppard.
The plan was to retool the roster around Beal, as they brought in veterans like Russell Westbrook, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis. They infused the roster with first-round picks like Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert. Despite those additions, this past season they missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
Beal’s third contract extension was a supermax deal inked last summer which included a no-trade clause. Beal had to waive it in order to make the trade to Phoenix possible. It is the only full no-trade clause in the NBA and it gave him control over where the Wizards could send him.
This trade frees up considerable cap room for the Wizards in the coming years. Beal is owed roughly $207.7 million over the next four seasons, spanning 2023-24 to 2026-27.
The newfound cap flexibility gives the Wizards a fresh start if they want to lean fully into a rebuild. In addition to trading Beal, they also dealt Porzingis to the Celtics this week.
Washington also sent young point guard Jordan Goodwin and 2021 second-round pick Isaiah Todd to Phoenix in the trade, which netted them Landry Shamet, four first-round pick swaps (2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030) and six second-round picks ( 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030).
Beal leaves quite an imprint on the Wizards’ franchise. He ranks third in total games and minutes played, second in points and field goals made. He holds the career record for 3-pointers and is second in steals.
Beal was also a standout off the court, earning the NBA’s Community Assist Award for his charity work in 2019. He also helped lead their social justice efforts in 2020, including a march on Juneteenth with the Mystics.
The Wizards, though, are ready to turn the page and start anew after overhauling their front office in recent months. They hired Michael Winger as president of Monumental Basketball and Will Dawkins as general manager. Those two came into town and immediately got to work conceiving a new plan for the franchise.
Beal is gone, now with a chance to play for a contender, while the Wizards are moving forward with a young roster highlighted by 2023 seventh overall pick Bilal Coulibaly.