The Sixers have already added another star in James Harden, but could Joel Embiid be recruiting Bradley Beal to join them this offseason? Before the Philadelphia 76ers added their bearded star from Brooklyn, Joel Embiid reportedly made a push for the team to acquire Washington Wizards star, Bradley Beal.
According to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, there was some disagreement leading up to the NBA trade deadline as to whether the Sixers should target James Harden or Bradley Beal. Simmons stated that Harden was unsurprisingly the apple of Daryl Morey’s eye while Beal was Embiid’s primary target.
Obviously, Beal’s season-ending surgery threw some cold water on that situation, but for a time, he was a realistic target for the Sixers thanks to Joel Embiid’s alleged desire to play with the Washington star. That rumored desire could easily continue into the offseason whether or not James Harden does, in fact, pick up his player option.
The pathway, of course, hinges on a Tobias Harris deal. It’s not an unfamiliar idea to hear of a Tobias Harris trade, especially as it pertains to this offseason. Many have discussed the concept of a Harris salary dump in the offseason as the Sixers look to pursue their third star; Bradley Beal fits that description perfectly. Likely, Daryl Morey is already exploring options to have all three play for Philadelphia next season, and as it turns out, there is a path to that goal.
Now the fit between the three stars is admittedly curious, but there’s always speculation when three stars join forces. One player will need to take a step back as Chris Bosh did for the Miami Heat, and likely, that player will be James Harden. The situation was not too dissimilar in Brooklyn. Harden took on more of a facilitator role than a dominant MVP force with the Nets. If he were to do so again, the Sixers might see similar success as Brooklyn did when their Big-Three played (13-3).
There are plenty of ifs, and it would be near impossible to pull off, but Daryl Morey has managed the impossible so far; what’s one more miracle.
