The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot going on heading into NBA free agency and trade season. Fresh off an ugly second-round loss in the playoffs, Philly fired head coach Doc Rivers and replaced him with Nick Nurse.
From a player personnel standpoint, former league MVP James Harden is going to opt out of his contract and hit free agency. There’s no guarantee that he’s going to be back with Philadelphia with Harden being linked primarily to his former Houston Rockets team.
We now have some more information on Philadelphia’s offseason plans. According to Bill Simmons of The Ringer, the 76ers are heavy favorites to land Washington Wizards star two-guard Bradley Beal should he request a trade from the organization.
“My odds on favorite is Philadelphia and I don’t even think it’s close. Beal and (Joel) Embiid, they’re friends. Embiid was trying to get him two years ago, which I kept telling people on this podcast. They ended up going with Harden instead, Embiid was pushing hard for Beal. Harden is going to leave. If you’re Philly and you are going to lose Harden and now, I have this shooter, that’s probably a better fit with Embiid anyway.”
Report on the Philadelphia 76ers and Bradley Beal
There’s a lot to decipher here. First off, previous reports indicated that Harden is as good as gone with a return to Houston likely.
This puts Philadelphia in an awkward position. The team doesn’t have the cap room to sign one of the top free agents outright. It is also not going to move stud young guard Tyrese Maxey. Front office head Daryl Morey has pushed back against trading him and views the guard as a franchise cornerstone moving forward.
Related: Updated Philadelphia 76ers rumors
How would a Bradley Beal trade to the Philadelphia 76ers work?
First off, Washington could very well be headed for a rebuild after bringing in former Los Angeles Clippers general manager Michael Winger to run things. Beal has long been linked in NBA trade rumors, too.
If the Wizards opt to go into a rebuild, Beal would be their best asset. He’s been among the best scoring guards in the NBA over the past half-decade or so.
- Bradley Beal stats (2019-23): 27.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, 47% shooting
For the Philadelphia 76ers, the idea would be to team Beal up with Maxey in the backcourt. It would make for a dynamic pairing.
In terms of how a trade might look, Tobias Harris’ expiring contract would head to Washington. He would have to be included to make the finances work. Harris’ contract could also be a nice asset for Washington to flip ahead of the 2023-24 season. Teams loving expiring deals. And with his coming in at $39.2 million, it’s nothing to overlook.
Once the 2023 NBA Draft comes calling in less than two weeks, Philadelphia would also have two future first-round picks to offer up. If the team offers them up unprotected or with light protections, that could be enough to sway Washington.