6) Bradley Beal - Phoenix Suns
Trading for one of the worst contracts in the NBA only makes sense if you’re desperate, hence why the Phoenix Suns emptied the rest of their war chest for Bradley Beal. Their overeagerness could be to the Hawks’ benefit, though.
Coming off the season the Suns had, perhaps they are again prone to rash decisions.
This hypothetical offer could be enough the intrigue them with the possibility of properly balancing their roster, similar to the appeal for the Hawks.
Beal averaged his fewest points since the 2015-16 season, operating alongside two other premium scorers in Durant and Devin Booker. But that came on a career-best 60.7% true shooting mark.
Beal is just one season removed from averaging 23-plus points per game and posted a 31.3 PPG on 59.3% true shooting line in 2020-21 as the top option on the Washington Wizards.
He is going into Year 3 of his five-year, $251 million contract.
His $50.2 million salary in 2024-25 is only part of the issue with bringing in the undeniably talented Beal. He also has the league’s only no-trade clause and a $57.1 million player option in the final year of the deal, leaving some uncertainty on the back end.
As far as a pure fit as a replacement for one of the Hawks’ stars, though, Beal is near the top of the list.