Philadelphia 76ers Rumors: The Bradley Beal situation is heating up

Ben Simmons is on the trade block; you know it, I know it, the Philadelphia 76ers know it (duh), and the NBA’s 29 other teams know it too.

If some team, be they the Sacramento Kings, the Portland Trailblazers, the Toronto Raptors, or someone else wants to ensure they have Simmons under contract this fall, they know who to call and can negotiate a deal based on their specific situation.

And as for the Sixers? Well, their situation is far less defined. While Daryl Morey, Elton Brand, and company would reportedly like to swap out Simmons for another All-Star caliber player – surely one who can shoot 3s and better compliment Joel Embiid in the two-way game – that’s a lot harder than it may seem. With no other star players having requested a trade so far this summer, Philly has to wait and see how the market develops and potentially pounce on an opening should it present itself.

Needless to say, the collective eyes of Philadelphia 76ers nation should be firmly affixed on Washington, as the Bradley Beal situation is heating up in our nation’s capitol.

Bradley Beal’s present could define the Philadelphia 76ers’ future.

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If recent reports are to be believed, Bradley Beal really wanted to be coached by Sam Cassell this fall.

Known predominantly for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, in addition to his 15-plus year career as a player, Cassell is one of the NBA’s rising stars and could find himself a head coach by this time next year.

Boy, if only there was a way for Beal to play under Cassell this fall.

Now, to be fair, this isn’t the first time some have suggested that Beal isn’t particularly happy with his team’s trajectory. While no trade has officially been requested, not yet anyway, Beal’s displeasure with his lack of input on the Wizards’ coaching search, when coupled with the team’s consistent shortcomings from a team-building perspective, leaves many a fan questioning just how much longer Beal will remain committed to a middling franchise seemingly wasting the best years of his prime.

If Beal makes things official and outright demands a trade, then boom, the entire market changes.

Now granted, the Sixers wouldn’t be alone in their pursuit of Beal. About a dozen teams in the NFL would surely place offers for the former Florida Gator’s services, with the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics, and the New York Knicks all capable of fielding intriguing offers. Is Ben Simmons a better building block to rebuild a franchise than, say, Jaylen Brown? Or what about James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and two 2021 lottery picks? Would Washington have pause about keeping Beal in the same division or even conference? Or are they more concerned about getting the best package possible for their former franchise player regardless of how often they have to see him back at the Capital One Arena each season?

And what about the Portland Trailblazers? With only so many teams capable of offering the sort of Godfather deal Morey could place on the table, how would Beal’s availability affect the market for Damian Lillard if he too requests a trade? Could the Sixers go from lame-duck sellers in a nonexistent market to having two viable acquisition targets in a matter of days? Needless to say, the situation is only going to get more fascinating with each passing day, especially with the NBA Draft coming up on Thursday.

Next. Does Daryl Morey even want to draft a player at 28?. dark

There’s no doubt about it, Bradley Beal would be the perfect encore partner for Joel Embiid. He’s a fast, do-it-all scorer who can dominate a pick and roll and is capable of putting up 70-plus on his best nights. While the Philadelphia 76ers would have to sacrifice a number of quality players to get such a deal done, those two alone would surely be enough to get Philly into the playoffs and produce an offensive attack the likes of which we haven’t seen since Allen Iverson or a black and gold jersey. But is there a realistic path to get Beal to the City of Brotherly Love? That, my friends, is the $34.5-million question and will surely be answered in the not too distant future.