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It's not inconceivable for James Harden and Joel Embiid to run the table this season and win it all. But if the Philadelphia 76ers are sent home packing without confetti falling down their faces, perhaps they look into retooling further in the offseason.
If the rumors are true, there's already at least one All-Star waiting in the wings to team up a la Kevin Durant joining forces with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors back in 2016.
Appropriately enough, according to Andrew Bogut, the Warriors center of that 2016 NBA Finals team, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards is “trying to get” with Embiid and Harden in Philly. The former No. 1 overall pick spoke candidly on hearing this from sources on his Rogue Bogues podcast:
“I’ve heard a pretty big rumor … from some people that are pretty close to the situation in the NBA: Big three to Philly. Brad Beal is trying to get to Philadelphia in the offseason to team up with Harden and Embiid.”
Now, while Andrew Bogut is a former NBA player who played 14 seasons in the NBA, it's still fair to question the legitimacy of his sources. But the notion he's claiming to have heard doesn't exactly sound far-fetched given that there was at least rumored interest for getting Beal to Philly.
Bradley Beal was reportedly the first allegedly unhappy Eastern Conference All-Star guard that Joel Embiid was hoping to team up with. His spectacular 60-point eruption in Philadelphia in January of last season was probably the best audition possible for a team hankering for some start power at the guard spot.
Philly also has the pieces to make it happen, at least in terms of matching salaries. Tobias Harris has long had his name in trade rumors and is among the highest paid players in theAassociation, which makes him the perfect baseline for a Sixers trade package to D.C.:
“Philly’s desperate, obviously, to try to get off Harris, anyway,” Bogut continued. “They have been for a while. And I think they’re even more desperate now to free up that cap space somehow. It will most likely have to be a sign-and-trade with Philly. But don’t be surprised if a Big 3 forms in Philly. That’s the word on the street.”
There are a few obvious roadblocks to making that happen, though.
The Sixers could potentially win it all already this season. With a championship in hand, would Philly really risk shaking up chemistry and shift the shot distribution by adding another volume scorer on the team? Of course, it's not outside the realm of possibility for a guy like Daryl Morey to pursue even more star power even after having enough already to win it all.
Going beyond that, what would the Sixers be willing to give up to attain Bradley Beal? It's hard to imagine them parting ways with Tyrese Maxey, who seems like he fits in rather well as the clear third banana with veteran deference for his two more experienced co-stars. Would the Wizards accept a deal for Harris and Matisse Thybulle? Would the Sixers even want to give up such a valuable defensive weapon to overload even more on scoring? The exact type of trade package definitely isn't clear at this point.
And, lastly, Bradley Beal could simply opt to stay in Washington. The Wizards got a rather encouraging debut from Kristaps Porzingis on Sunday night that seemed to have the All-Star excited. They also have Kyle Kuzma emerging into a secondary star and a few players signed to cap-friendly deals for the next couple of years. Beal has been vocal about his desire to build something in D.C., and it's telling how he's still there despite more than a few waves of trade rumblings that passed through the nation's capital.
However, assuming the time comes and Bradley Beal does indeed form a Big 3 in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid and James Harden, it's hard not to crown them the heavy favorites, no matter who the other players are around them. Beal hasn't shown the ability to be The Guy for a winning team, but his game just fits in seamlessly as a secondary scorer and off-ball creator, assuming he gets his 3-point shooting touch back. Plug that in with two MVP-level talents and you have yourself a championship contender for years to come.
