After his recent comments, Sixers target Bradley Beal finds himself back in the rumor mill. Is there hope for a Bradley Beal and Ben Simmons swap?
Bradley Beal is a tough guy to figure out. The three-time all-star has soldiered through some brutal years, with the Wizards showing a stubborn commitment to the organization. Things seemed to be on the upswing as Washington has been off to a promising start this season, sitting in 5th place in the East with a record of 15-11. Despite this, Beal’s future does not seem clear as he has not accepted the $180+ million contract extension that is on the table.
As it currently stands, Bradley Beal is in the final year of his contract with a one-year $36 million player option for next season. The star guard has been the focal point of the Wizards for the past 9 seasons, but now at 28-years-old must evaluate the track he wants to take for the remainder of his career. Beal is eligible for a four-year $181.5 extension that he has yet to accept.
Chris Hayes recently had Beal on his podcast to talk about the contract situation more in-depth.
“I got time, so I kinda hold the cards right now. And one, I’ve never been in this position. I’m kinda embracing that, being able to kinda dictate how I want my future to be and where I want it to be, and at the same time, I’m not gonna make that grand commitment, and it doesn’t work. Ultimately, you have to be selfish at some point, and for probably the first time in my career, Year 10, I am. And so I’m kinda taking advantage of it in a way. Obviously, my full commitment is to the team. I want it to work. I’ve contributed to being here. I’ve committed to being here twice. Now, I want to see that commitment to me, as well, that we can create a winning team here, a winning environment here. And granted, I’m a part of that, so I gotta make sure that I’m stepping up and doing my thing, too, just as well.”
– Bradley Beal
Could Sixers Capitalize on This?
The Wizards have a promising young core, but they would certainly need another star to ascend into legitimate contenders. If they are unable to secure a long-term commitment from Beal, it would certainly make sense to move on from Beal in a trade rather than let him walk for nothing. Their outlook on how much of a rebuild they would choose to launch into also has a major impact if any type of trade with the Sixers would make sense for the Wiz.
From the Sixers’ perspective, Bradley Beal would be a near-perfect fit for what they are looking for. The University of Florida product is one of the premier scorers in the NBA who averaged 31.3 points per game last season. Beal would be the most talented scorer that Embiid has ever played with by a wide margin. Pairing this level of perimeter scoring has the potential to open things up, fully unlock Embiid’s play and elevate the level of the Sixers to legitimate title threats.
Daryl Morey should absolutely be monitoring the situation in Washington and jump at the chance if Beal does become available. However, at the moment, it does not seem a trade shipping Beal out of Washington is imminent. There also have been no legitimate signs of interest in Simmons from the Wizards end.
However, with so many mismatched parts floating around the NBA, it feels as if a multi-team trade is bound to happen. The NBA trade market is beginning to heat up with about two months until the deadline, which is great news for the Sixers. If the Wizards chose to enter this mix and move on from the Beal era, the Sixers cannot allow this opportunity to slip. Especially considering that Damian Lillard seems to be once again off the table.
