When injury-riddled Bradley Beal finally made his return to the court on Friday night, it wasn’t just Suns fans paying attention.

The Nets are likely to be keeping an eye on Phoenix — and not just today and tomorrow, but for the next several months and the next few years.

Much of their future rebuild depends on the Suns’ success. Or lack thereof.

Trying to declare who “won” any trade is often a narrative-driven folly, especially in the early going before the final book is truly closed on the deal. But when Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai got backed into a corner by Kevin Durant’s midseason trade demand, their plan was clearly to short the Suns’ future.