Sixers rumors: Bradley Beal could demand trade before NBA Draft

This a CODE RED. I repeat, this is a CODE RED. The waters have been stirring for a while, and gosh darn it, the Coast Guard just confirmed visual on a great white stark. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Bradley Beal could demand a trade from the Washington Wizards before Thursday’s NBA Draft. Naturally, the Sixers should get ready to pounce.

While the Beal sweepstakes could get in the way of a potential Damian Lillard sweepstakes, it’s difficult for me to say, with confidence, “the Sixers should ignore Bradley Beal in hopes of Lillard asking out, then hope they have the best trade package for Lillard.” That is a risky bet. If you can trade for Bradley Beal, it’s probably wise to trade for Bradley Beal.

Last season, Beal averaged 31.3 points and came up just shy of the scoring title. Beal is an actual wizard on the perimeter, with one of the most confident, breathtaking scoring repertoires in the NBA. He can beat a defense at every level, whether it’s shredding his man in isolation, or moving without the basketball to free up opportunities elsewhere. He has grown tremendously as a playmaker in recent years, and even spent time at point guard in 2019-20 during John Wall’s absence.

The Sixers have the assets to acquire Bradley Beal, but the list of potential suitors is long.

Any Beal trade would start with Ben Simmons, who has three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive teams, and an All-NBA team on his résumé at 25 years old. While Simmons’ trade value hit rock bottom in the postseason, he’s still a tremendous talent who is worth several first-round picks in a vacuum.

In addition to Simmons, the Sixers would likely have to part with at least one of Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, as well as the requisite draft capital. Since Philadelphia does not own its 2025 pick, Daryl Morey can only offer the Sixers’ 2021, 2023, and 2027 first-round picks straight up. Other years can be offered in the form of pick swaps, however.

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That is the kind of package Bradley Beal could fetch — Simmons, Maxey, and three picks. Maybe even more. In the article, Fischer mentions that Beal would prefer an established winner, with Philadelphia, Miami, Golden State, and Boston specifically noted. That does not mean, however, that teams like New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta, and so forth will not also make compelling offers. The Sixers will have to outbid several teams in order to acquire Beal.

A lot of Philadelphia’s hopes in a potential bidding war ride on how Washington views Ben Simmons. Executives are likely split on the 25-year-old’s future after the Sixers’ second round collapse, but Simmons was also borderline dominant in the Sixers’ first round victory over Washington. It was Simmons’ defense that gave Beal the most trouble. If the Wizards view Simmons as a legitimate building block — and he is — then Philadelphia could have the best individual talent to offer in a trade. Simmons has four years left on his contract, too, meaning he is locked up for the majority of his prime.

Normally, the “Player X is considering a trade request” report precedes an actual trade request. Very rarely does news of this magnitude leak, only for the player to stay put and finish his career with a franchise. It happens, and Beal’s loyalty up to this point has been admirable, but it feels like the Wizards can’t offer him what he wants: a chance to win games. The Sixers can.

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