The Philadelphia 76ers had the perfect opportunity to get to the NBA Finals — or at least the Conference Finals — for the first time in two decades. They wasted it by failing to close the Boston Celtics out not once but twice.
Now, they’re looking at a key offseason. They made a solid move by replacing Doc Rivers with Nick Nurse, and now they need to focus on strengthening their roster around Joel Embiid.
And with all the rumors of James Harden opting out of his deal, they might need to look at the rest of the league for a suitable replacement. Notably, Brian Windhorst of ESPN believes Bradley Beal could be available.
NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal Could Be Available
“Beal has a unique contract unlike anybody else’s in the NBA,” Windhorst said. “He has a no-trade clause, which means not only can he decide if he wants to leave the Wizards, but he can decide who and what he is traded for.”
“It makes it extremely difficult to find a deal, and Michael Winger has said he has not made up his mind yet, but that indecision has led teams to keep a very close eye on the Wizards as they not only have Beal but big free agents Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis,” added Windhorst.
Sixers Could Lead The Race For Beal
Should that be the case, then NBA insider Bill Simmons believes the Sixers should be the obvious frontrunners to acquire his services, as they almost traded for him before Harden arrived:
“My odds on favorite is Philadelphia and I don’t even think it’s close,” Simmons said on his podcast. “Beal and Embiid, they’re friends. Embiid was trying to get him two years ago, which I kept telling people on this podcast. They ended up going with Harden instead, Embiid was pushing hard for Beal. Harden is going to leave.”
Beal has constantly affirmed his commitment to the Wizards, but he’s not going to compete for a ring there, so he might as well realize it and take his talents somewhere else.
