Sixers: Could Bradley Beal become available sooner than expected?

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue franchise-altering moves this summer, with a clear emphasis on maximizing Joel Embiid’s championship window. While the focus in Philadelphia lately has been on Portland malcontent Damian Lillard, there has been no shortage of Bradley Beal talk over the past year. Is it time for that talk to pick back up?

In a recent report about Chris Paul’s future in Phoenix, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears included an interesting nugget on Beal’s Washington co-star, Russell Westbrook.

"“According to sources, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been on the hunt for a veteran point guard, and Paul is on the list. There have also been talks about Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook being a potential candidate to move back home to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal that could include free agent point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Talen Horton-Tucker, sources said.”"

Frankly, I am skeptical. The financial dynamics of that trade are funky, and it’s difficult to envision a worse fit for LeBron. The Lakers need another ball-handler and perimeter scorer, but Westbrook’s domineering style and unreliable jump shot make him a less-than-ideal candidate.

Even so, the mention of a potential Westbrook trade that isn’t totally speculative — that comes from a legitimate, plugged-in source — does lead to questions about the future in Washington. The Westbrook trade was Washington’s big swing to appease Beal. If that crumbles so soon, could it mean Beal gets antsy?

The Sixers should obviously have interest in Bradley Beal, but would the former scoring champ demand a trade?

It is easy to wrapped up in Damian Lillard, and frankly, the Sixers should be wrapped up in Lillard. He’s the better player and would make Philadelphia an instant contender. That said, Beal would also elevate the Sixers to a new level entirely, with elite perimeter scoring and untapped playmaking potential.

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Last season, Beal averaged 31.3 points and 4.4 assists on 48.5 percent shooting from the field. He was the only reliable source of halfcourt creation in Washington’s offense, carrying an outsized burden for a franchise that has failed time and time again to build a competent roster around him. If the Westbrook experiment has been chalked up to a failure after one eight-seed finish (and there’s a strong case it should be), then Beal’s future in Washington is bleak. The Wizards have no cap space, mediocre young talent, and very few trade avenues to foundational change.

In the end, the Wizards will keep Beal so long as he is willing to stay. It will take a Beal trade request, public and forceful, to make Washington budge. So far, Beal has expressed no interest in doing so. Loyalty has been a big part of his image thus far, and it’s entirely possible that he just enjoys being in Washington, contender or not.

Given the landscape of NBA basketball, however, it’s difficult to chart a meaningfully successful path forward for Beal in Washington. The Wizards just haven’t given themselves many options. If Westbrook’s departure is being floated around as a possibility, it’s not complete foolishness to start speculating on Beal’s future — and whether his own departure is inevitable.

To state the obvious, in the event of a Beal trade, the Sixers would need to build a package around Ben Simmons to even get Washington on the phone. A deal would likely involve at least one of Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle (if not both), with a healthy amount of draft capital getting shipped to D.C.

Unlike Damian Lillard, Beal only has one guaranteed year left on his contract, with the option to enter unrestricted free agency in 2023. That could keep the price a tick or two below Lillard’s selling point if a trade ever materializes, but do not count on a steep discount. Beal is a major upgrade — both in terms of talent and fit. That said, Washington could have fewer qualms about acquiring Ben Simmons if Westbrook is no longer on the roster.

In the end, Beal will almost definitely start the season in Washington. Westbrook probably will, too. Even so, the Sixers should monitor the situation and get ready to pounce if Beal’s tune changes and Lillard remains committed to Portland.