Kevin Durant helped Phoenix Suns recruit Bradley Beal according to NBA Insider

Bradley Beal made headlines Sunday when it was reported that he would be taking his talents to the Phoenix Suns next season.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns organization were all in on acquiring Bradley Beal.

"The Phoenix Suns aggressively went after Bradley Beal," Charania said. "From James Jones to Frank Vogel, their new head coach, to Mat Ishbia, even Kevin Durant and Devin Booker recruited Bradley Beal. There were other teams that made bids, made offers, and Washington had better offers on the table."

Charania also mentioned that despite better offers received by the Wizards from a number of teams, Beal's no-trade clause gave him all the leverage to choose his preferred destination.

Beal averaged 23.2 points per game (50.6% shooting, including 36.5% from 3-point range) and 5.4 assists in 2022-23. He played for only 50 games and logged 33.5 minutes per game. Beal missed a handful of games due to hamstring injuries. He played even fewer games the previous season with only 40 games and 36.0 mpg.

Kevin Durant and the Suns' pitch worked for Beal in making his decision in free agency to find a new home. Acquiring Beal is huge for the Suns as it adds another elite scorer to the roster alongside Durant and Booker.

However, with $160 million committed to Beal, Durant, Booker and Deandre Ayton, it makes roster building all the more challenging. The Suns will have to make do with minimum contracts under the new regulations of the CBA.

Their biggest issue last season and the reason for the team's early second-round exit was a lackluster bench unit. It led to fatigue for both Durant and Booker, who were both the focal points of the offense.

Besides a quality second unit coming off the bench, the team also needs a point guard to facilitate an offense that is composed of three All-Stars. Beal is coming off a season where he played as a facilitator with the Wizards. It could prove as a useful asset in running the Suns' half-court offense.

What did the Phoenix Suns give up to the Washington Wizards to sign Bradley Beal?

The Phoenix Suns sent Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and multiple second-round picks and pick swaps to the Washington Wizards.

Some NBA fans would say that it wasn't a fair trade but the fact remains that Bradley Beal had all the leverage in making the trade happen. All he needed was an excellent pitch from Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Suns for him to make up his mind.