ESPN Lays Out Mock Trade Where Sixers Land Bradley Beal

The Philadelphia 76ers have several options to build out their backcourt this offseason. Ever since the team went down in the second round against the Boston Celtics, it became clear that the Sixers want to run it back with James Harden leading the pack, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey.

But there is a reality where Harden doesn’t return to Philadelphia. With a player option on the table, Harden is expected to leave it there and become a free agent instead. In the event Harden hits the open market, he’ll have at least one other suitor in the Houston Rockets.

Based on what’s being reported, Harden isn’t expected to land a max contract from either team. While the Rockets want to avoid another season of rebuilding and prefer to make some win-now moves, including bringing James Harden back, they don’t seem willing to pay any cost to make that happen.

As for the Sixers, they are reportedly interested in keeping Harden around on another short-term deal. While the 76ers shouldn’t expect another discount, Harden probably shouldn’t expect a maxed-out offer. The likelihood of Harden returning to Philadelphia has grown higher by the day.

However, there is still a chance the Sixers will have to pivot to a Plan B. If going for another standout guard is something the Sixers want to kick around, Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal could be there for the taking. In the eyes of ESPN, what could a potential deal between the Sixers and the Wizards look like?

The Proposal

Per Bobby Marks, a logical framework could be Sixers veterans Tobias Harris and Furkan Korkmaz along with a 2030 Top-10 protected first-round pick. With that, the 76ers would receive Bradley Beal in the hypothetical deal.

Replacing Harden with Beal would give the 76ers a slightly different look in the backcourt. Comparing their production from last season, Harden was far better in the passing department, dishing out six more assists per game, leading the league in that category.

As for Beal, he averaged 23 points per game, two more than Harden. From three, Harden averaged 39 percent, while Beal hit on 37 percent of his deep shots. One could say that Beal would be a notable downgrade in the playmaking department while coming at a much more expensive price. And because of Beal’s contract, many teams are going to be skeptical of his true value.

On the surface, replacing Harden with Beal while finally shaking up the roster by parting ways with Tobias Harris might sound like a good plan in the eyes of Sixers fans who want to keep a star playing alongside Maxey and Joel Embiid.

But paying a player nearly $207 million through 2027 would put the 76ers in a tough spot long-term, considering they are already going to fork over the big bucks to Joel Embiid and won’t have Tyrese Maxey on a rookie contract for much longer.

In this scenario, giving up another first-rounder wouldn’t be for the best as well. Considering the Sixers are without a draft pick this season, and haven’t made a selection since 2021, they have to remain focused on building a better future with rookie prospects as well.

Trading for Beal could be a scenario the Sixers explore in the future, but so far, they don’t seem to have any interest in taking that route. If they do change their minds in the future, the above mock proposal could be a logical framework.