Rumors are beginning to fly as the NBA offseason is now off to the races. Among the many whispers surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers, one that is becoming more consistent is not about who they are targeting but rather who is not on the team’s wishlist. Despite recent chatter suggesting otherwise, multiple reports have suggested that Bradley Beal will not be targeted by the Sixers.
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice, and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports have expressed that Philadelphia will not pursue a trade for Bradley Beal.
The report is surprising and unsurprising in a sense. There are multiple reasons a deal for Beal would make sense for the Sixers, from the Joel Embiid connection to his affordability (in terms of assets) to the simple fact that the team will need a high-level producer should James Harden leave Philadelphia. On the other hand, the Sixers are still actively pursuing a deal to resign Harden. Additionally, trading for Beal means absorbing his albatross of a deal, something the Sixers are already unwilling to do for Harden. Under the new CBA, Philadelphia would be in a truly tight spot between the high-priced deals of Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal, and that’s before considering a Tyrese Maxey extension.
For the time being, it seems that Bradley Beal is off the table for Philadelphia, and that’s likely for the best. Based on the reports by Kyle Neubeck and Jake Fischer, it seems clear that there is a plan in place; it’s simply now a matter of execution.
