The Phoenix Suns have seen their odds to win the 2023-24 NBA title at DraftKings Sportsbook go up after landing star shooting guard Bradley Beal in a trade. The Suns sent Chris Paul and Landry Shamet back to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Beal, along with draft compensation featuring mostly second-round picks and a few first-round swap options. The deal is expected to be finalized in a few days, according to multiple media reports.
BREAKING: The Washington Wizards are finalizing a trade to send All-Star G Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Beal’s waiving his no-trade to form a new Big 3 with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Teams are still working thru framework, but Beal is headed to Suns. pic.twitter.com/0lQrSh370q
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 18, 2023
The Suns opened at +850 to win the NBA championship when DraftKings Sportsbook first released the lines, but have since moved to +650. While this does represent a decent jump for the Suns and it makes sense given the caliber of player Beal is, Phoenix is still behind the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics in the table. The Milwaukee Bucks are not far behind the Suns in fourth place at +700.
Despite landing Beal and forming a strong trio of offensive stars, the Suns don’t have many resources to round out the roster. If there are even slight health issues, which all three of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have experienced in the last two seasons, this could unravel for the Suns. For now, the oddsmakers are thinking Phoenix will be the second-best team in the West.