76ers News: Will Philly Target Bradley Beal, Fred VanVleet?

With the 2023 NBA Finals concluded, the league is now focusing on the NBA Draft, which will take place one week from today.

As always, with the draft around the corner, there is plenty of smoke surrounding several key players across the league. One of those players happens to be a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ten-time All-Star guard James Harden is currently under contract with the Sixers. He has until the end of the month to decide whether or not he’ll pick up his player option for next season. Barring any unexpected changes, Harden will likely decline the second season and become a free agent.

The Houston Rockets are expected to make a pitch for Harden, while the 76ers are prioritizing retaining the league assist leader as they want to continue growing the two-man game between Harden and the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, getting Harden back isn’t a guarantee at this time. If nothing goes according to plan on the Harden front for the Sixers, will they target some of the other notable names that will become available in the coming weeks?

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Sixers aren’t showing much interest in some of the other top names involved in the backcourt market.

"Philadelphia, sources said, is not expected to target Fred VanVleet in the event Harden departs via free agency, despite the obvious connection to new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, who won a championship with VanVleet in Toronto in 2019."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet declined his player option for next season. Therefore, he’ll hit the open market come July. Considering VanVleet spent most of his NBA career playing for new Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, there’s an obvious connection between the two.

However, Fischer reports that the Sixers are “not expected” to target VanVleet even if Harden is a goner. One would think the Sixers would then shift their focus to Bradley Beal, who could be on the outs in Washington at last.

But several reports have noted that the Sixers aren’t too fond of Beal’s financial situation. Last summer, Beal signed a monster contract with the Wizards worth over $250 million. If he plays through the entire deal, which includes a fifth-year player option, Beal will remain under the same contract through the 2027 season.

Having a core player on a long-term deal is typically ideal for a franchise, but the league-wide belief is that Beal was way overvalued during his contract negotiation with the Wizards.

With multiple reports indicating that the Sixers fall under that category with their thought process, it’s more likely they’ll bank on Tyrese Maxey’s upside, rather than taking one of the league’s most expensive contracts off the Wizards’ hands for a three-time All-Star.

When Daryl Morey met with the media following the team’s 2023 playoff run, he offered little insight on Philadelphia’s backup options if they aren’t able to get Harden back. They could change their minds and make a play for Beal or VanVleet if the other plans don’t work, but the Sixers don’t seem like players in the star guard market this summer beyond making another play for Harden.