NBA Rumors: Sixers Rival Miami Heat Interested in Wizards' Bradley Beal

With James Harden officially off the table in the NBA trade market, all of the attention has shifted to the next standout star, Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat were both in on the Harden sweepstakes at one point. While the Daryl Morey-led Sixers front office were in trade negotiations with the Houston Rockets all the way down to the wire, the Heat bowed out once they realized the astronomical price tag for the former MVP.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported earlier this week that most of the teams that inquired about Harden are likely to keep tabs on Beal as the Wizards star continues to look like a diamond in the rough on a 3-8 Washington team.

O'Connor specifically singled out the Sixers as a possible team that might look into acquiring Beal, but the Miami Heat are reportedly high on the veteran guard as well. According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the Heat's "interest level is high."

While Jackson reports that Washington has given zero indication they intend to move on from Beal at the moment, a Harden-like standoff could do the trick if the Wizards continue to underwhelm despite Beal's excellent start to the year.

In ten games this season, Beal has averaged a career-high of 34 points-per-game in an average of 35 minutes of action. The Sixers saw firsthand this season just how good Beal is on the offensive end of the floor as he accounted for 31 points in their first meeting and then put up a career-high of 60 points in their second matchup.

The Sixers aren't desperate for Beal. After all, they started the season off hot and currently possess a 9-4 record. A couple of their losses came when they had less than ten players available due to injuries and COVID-related setbacks.

Although they have looked like one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference so far this year, the Sixers still might need to upgrade if they want to compete with teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and a full-strength Heat.

Adding Bradley Beal would give the Sixers even more offensive star power. It won't be easy, though. Over the years, teams have inquired about Beal's availability before, and the Wizards always viewed him as off-limits.

As long as he's not forcing his way out, Washington doesn't seem willing to even talk about a possible deal involving the 27-year-old guard, which will be a difficult obstacle for the 76ers to overcome. Plus, if they do change their minds, Philly will have a lot of competition as Miami, and a handful of other suitors will likely line up to make offers for the All-Star.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_