Bradley Beal exploded for a career-high 60 points on Wednesday. If that isn't enticing enough for other teams to acquire him, then nothing is.
Since the offseason, all eyes have been on Houston Rockets superstar James Harden and where he'll end up playing. The Philadelphia 76ers have put themselves on the table for any potential Harden deal. With former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey being in charge of the team, the Sixers have naturally been linked with the former MVP.
Earlier reports suggested that the Rockets would budge if the Sixers included All-Star Ben Simmons in the conversation but the Sixers were insistent that their point guard isn't available.
Harden rumors have died down a bit as of late and he's expected to play out the early part of the season with the Rockets. So if the Sixers really want to upgrade their roster, they might have to look elsewhere and save themselves from all the drama and controversy that The Beard brings to the table.
Who's up next for them? Bradley Beal.
Beal is another superstar who clearly wants out and has also been on the Sixers' radar these past few months. With Harden being virtually unattainable, the former University of Florida standout is looking like the best option for the Sixers right now. Besides, Beal dropped his 60-point masterpiece on, quite incidentally, the Sixers.
Obviously, the Washington Wizards would want an arm and a leg in exchange for Beal and the Sixers might have what they are looking for. A simple trade package involving Tobias Harris and possibly Matisse Thybulle could be a decent deal for both teams. The Sixers can also offer a couple of future draft picks to the Wizards in exchange for Beal and possibly a veteran guard like Ish Smith.
Adding a bucket-getter like Beal to the dynamic duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid automatically puts the Sixers as one of the top contenders in the East. Beal's shooting helps them stretch the floor, which the Sixers have struggled with having Simmons man the backcourt. Beal is averaging a career-best 30.6 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field.
The 27-year-old Beal is also a very capable ballhandler and would add a new dimension to the Sixers' offense. His ability to create his own shot should also benefit Embiid as his scoring load would lighten up a bit. With the three leading the way and having other pieces like Seth Curry, Danny Green, and Dwight Howard around, this new-look Sixers could be a scary sight.
The Wizards, on the other hand, chose to break up their longtime backcourt when they let go of John Wall in exchange for Russell Westbrook to pair with Beal. So far, Westbrook has been putting up great individual numbers as usual. The team, however, continues to struggle.
It wouldn't make sense if the Wizards would move the former MVP after just a handful of games and if they want to further switch things up in the hopes of rebuilding, Bradley Beal's the piece they'd have to move. Westbrook isn't the easiest focal point to build a team around but at this point, it might be easier for Wizards officials to not deal with Beal anymore. If they are adamant that Westbrook is indeed their guy moving forward, then trading high on Beal makes much more sense.
Adding a scorer like Harris should benefit Westbrook's game because they don't play the same position. When given the chance, Harris has proven that he can still get buckets and be a productive member of any team's starting unit without necessarily being a ball-heavy scorer. If the trade pulls through, the Wizards also get a young defender like Thybulle, which only adds more depth to their young core in addition to the potential draft assets they'll be acquiring.
Is it time to form a new big three in the City of Brotherly Love?
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