Why the Dallas Mavericks were the biggest winners in the Bradley Beal trade

The first big trade of the offseason happened on Sunday afternoon as the Phoenix Suns traded for star shooting guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.

The Suns were in the news at the trade deadline last season as they traded for one of the greatest scorers of all time, Kevin Durant. Now, the Suns have a big three of KD, Beal, and Devin Booker. It is one of the best big three's in the league, but there isn't much around them.

After the Beal trade, the Suns only have Durant, Beal, Booker, Cameron Payne, Deandre Ayton, Jordan Goodwin, Isaiah Todd, and Ish Wainright (team option) under contract. This roster is in no place to contend for a championship and will need to make some trades over the next few weeks.

The main reason that the Mavericks won this trade is Phoenix now has no cap to pursue Kyrie Irving. Re-signing Irving is Dallas' biggest priority this summer, and it looks like it'll be much easier than expected for the Mavs.

"The Mavericks appear to be the only confirmed bidder for Irving's services as the opening bell for 2023 NBA Free Agency at 6 PM ET on June 30 draws near."

- Marc Stein

Marc Stein dropped this news late Sunday night (subscription required), and Mavs fans should be excited about the team's chances of re-signing Luka Doncic's co-star. Stein also said it doesn't look like the Lakers or Suns will be pursuing him.

That's why the Mavericks are the biggest winners from the Beal trade.

The Suns can't pursue Irving with their current cap situation, and Dallas now has a better shot of keeping him. The Mavs can also try to work on a more team-friendly contract with Irving, as no one else is in the running for him. He will still likely earn close to the max, but the Mavericks have more leverage than expected as no one else is reportedly pursuing him in free agency.

Irving already reportedly wanted to stay with the Mavs, but they can use any help that they can get.

Stay tuned to see what happens with the Mavericks in free agency and if they re-sign Irving.