76ers Rival Report: Which Teams Are Interested in Bradley Beal?

As the days pass, one thing is becoming increasingly clear around the NBA; Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards could finally part ways.

For the last few years, Beal has been viewed as a potential trade candidate. As the standout guard continued to play for an underachieving Wizards squad, it seemed it was only a matter of time before Beal made a move to land with a contender.

Last summer, Beal had a chance to discuss a possible change of scenery. Instead, he inked a significant deal worth well over $200 million, keeping him under contract until 2027.

With the Wizards re-shaping their front office leadership, the team has granted Beal and his representatives permission to speak with teams he’s interested in potentially playing with, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

So far, only a handful of teams have been linked to Beal since it became clear that he could be out sooner than later. Among the three teams that have been mentioned, two are close competitors of the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the two Eastern Conference squads that are kicking around the idea of trading for Beal are the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Miami, who just made a shocking run to the NBA Finals as the eighth seed, have been star hunting for quite some time now. Considering the Heat have done their due diligence when it comes to stars over the last few seasons, it comes as no surprise they are in the hunt for Beal.

As for the Bucks, their potential involvement in the Beal sweepstakes comes as a bit of a surprise. On paper, the Bucks are already one of the most talented teams in the NBA, and they recently finished the 2022-2023 regular season with the top record in the East.

Considering Milwaukee flamed out in the first round, it seems they could be searching for a notable change as they look to get a fresh start with a new head coach in place.

Aside from the Eastern Conference contenders that are currently involved, the Sacramento Kings have also been linked to Beal. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick, Sacramento and Beal have mutual interest. However, there isn’t a “clear pathway” for the two sides to get something done.

In the past, the Sixers have had an interest in Bradley Beal. That was before Philadelphia traded away their three-time All-Star Ben Simmons for the ten-time All-Star James Harden, who grew disgruntled with the Brooklyn Nets.

These days, the Sixers don’t seem as interested in the Washington-based guard. As Philadelphia has a clear plan to retain James Harden, an attempt to bring Beal to the City of Brotherly Love would only come if the Sixers come up short in the race for Harden’s services this summer.

And even in the event the Sixers lose Harden in free agency, it’s unclear if they would pursue Beal right away — or if the three-time All-Star scoring guard would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to form a trio with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

With Beal officially getting permission to speak with other organizations and the draft and free agency moving closer, it seems the chances of Washington moving on from Beal are growing by the day. Sooner than later, two teams in the Eastern Conference could look a lot different.