Should The 76ers Go After Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal?
It’s that time of the year. Rumors are starting to swirl ahead of the NBA Draft (June 22) and NBA free agency (June 30). And with that, Bradley Beal is…
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 14: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards drives around Jared Rhoden #8 of the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Capital One Arena on March 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)It's that time of the year. Rumors are starting to swirl ahead of the NBA Draft (June 22) and NBA free agency (June 30). And with that, Bradley Beal is a name that will be at the forefront.
Based on recent reports Beal is a prime candidate to be on the move from his current club. The Washington Wizards. Sixers fans understand the severity of this upcoming offseason. There is a possibility of losing James Harden to free agency. Who could replace the ‘22-23 NBA assist leader? It would require a huge blockbuster for the Sixers to land Bradley Beal. Let's look at some of the pros and cons of a possible acquisition:
Pros:
- Two years ago Bradley Beal averaged 30 pts per game. That would be a help to the free-flowing style of offense under new head coach Nick Nurse.
- The former scoring champion could give the Sixers' offense a player that they've been looking for for years in a closer. His ability to create his own shot, beat his man off the dribble, get to his spot and get off a good attempt is something they’ve been missing.
- If JJ Redick's two-year run with the 76ers posting career numbers while working off Joel Embiid is any indication of what things could look like for Beal and Embiid, this would potentially be a promising partnership.
Cons:
- Beal is two years removed from being a 30-point-per-game scorer. But since then he has only been able to post 23 points per game on average in consecutive seasons. Why is that? Is he losing a step? Was he uninterested because of their terrible situation? There are a lot of questions that may not be able to be answered. No one in Philadelphia is close to the situation in Washington. But it’s certainly something to raise the antennas.
- Of a possible 164 games on the schedule over the last two seasons, Beal has only played in 90 of those contests due to injury. Is he starting to break down after 11 seasons in the NBA?
- How will this help or hurt four-year guard Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt? He is eligible for his first extension while heading into year number four of his rookie deal?
- Finally, the contract. Beal signed a max deal worth $251 million over the course of five years. He will make $46.7 million for the upcoming season as he hits age 30 on June 28th -- that's a lot of money for a 30-year-old seemingly often injured player with questions of his possible decline. The contract will take him to age 33 into ‘26-27 season which will be a player option and he’ll be owed $57 million.
Ultimately, the Sixers' front office will have to figure out if this is the right move for the franchise going forward knowing the reigning MVP Embiid -- also right in the middle of his prime -- may only have a certain number of years remaining at this level of all NBA MVP type basketball.
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