Philadelphia 76ers should re-focus energy on Bradley Beal trade

The Philadelphia 76ers need to make a serious push for Bradley Beal, even with the potential risk.

John Wall will miss 6-8 months after getting foot surgery next week, putting the 14-23 Washington Wizards in a precarious position. A full-blown rebuild is unlikely with Wall’s contract, but reshaping the roster before February’s trade deadline seems possible, if not probable.

With the chaos currently unfolding, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. are prime trade candidates for teams looking to upgrade their core. The Philadelphia 76ers need depth more than star power to a certain extent, but there’s ample reason to inquire about their availability. Especially Beal.

The Sixers need players who can space the floor and complement the current core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler — not the cleanest fit on paper. Beal fits the mold, scoring both with and without the ball while providing Brett Brown with another late-game playmaking option.

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It’s risky to sacrifice depth for star power, but few quarters in the NBA can rival Embiid, Simmons, Butler and Beal. That’s the most talented four-man group, on paper, outside Golden State. There are clear advantages to having that group together.

Beal is also on contract through the 2020-21 season, meaning he’s a long-term investment on a reasonable contract. The Wiz might be motivated to keep Beal and regroup next season, but depending on his happiness level or ownership’s perspective on the current core, it’s easy to picture things deteriorating quickly.

There’s no guaranteeing the Sixers can make a compelling offer for Beal — he will undoubtedly have multiple suitors — but Elton Brand and the front office would be wise to push all the chips onto the table.

Assuming Butler returns, the Sixers would have four top-30 NBA players locked into the future plans. Even if Butler balks and runs in free agency, an Embiid-Simmons-Beal core can do serious damage in the Eastern Conference. At just 25, Beal fits the timeline.

Here’s what a potential deal might look like:

Again, to make things clear, there’s no guarantee the Sixers can (or will) offer enough to make the Wizards move Beal, who’s young, extremely talented, and on a favorable contract. A lot of factors need to line up, and even then other teams might bring more to the bargaining table.

In this scenario, however, the Sixers offload Wilson Chandler (salary filler), Markelle Fultz (the former No. 1 pick), Landry Shamet (a rookie shooting over 40 percent from three-point range), and several picks. The 2021 Miami first-round pick, which the Sixers acquired in the Zhaire Smith trade, could prove invaluable in such negotiations.

Depending on the Wizards’ preferences, one might swap Zhaire and Shamet. Including both, depending on how Washington’s offer takes shape, would be another possibility. The Sixers would have to make a serious commitment, both in terms of assets and money, to take Beal on.

If the Sixers can nab Tomas Satoransky, that’s an excellent way to fill bench minutes with a serviceable one-year stopgap. The second unit would remain painfully thin, but Beal adds significant firepower on his own.

Here’s how the rotation might look.

G — Bradley Beal
G — J.J. Redick
F — Jimmy Butler
F/G — Ben Simmons
C — Joel Embiid
6th — Mike Muscala
7th — Tomas Satoransky (pending trade details, of course)
8th — T.J. McConnell
9th — Furkan Korkmaz
Scraps — Jonah Bolden, Shake Milton (Zhaire?)

I’d venture to say that group, once the chemistry comes together, can pose a serious threat to Toronto, Boston and Milwaukee in the postseason. Simmons being a total non-shooter still hurts, as does the questionable second unit, but talent wins out at some point. The Sixers would have ample talent.

The Sixers can also pursue Porter, whose price tag sits well below Beal at the moment. Probably misused to a certain extent in Washington, Porter’s shooting, defensive versatility and complementary skill set would fit seamlessly in the Sixers’ starting five.