It appears the Washington Wizards are getting set to hit the reset button and begin a rebuild. They have been treading water for some time, and the new management regime is ready for a new era.
That means Wizards star Bradley Beal is likely to be available in a trade. The Wizards and Beal have been mired in mediocrity for quite some time.
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to first do their best to take care of James Harden, but if Harden walks is Beal a possibility? There is a case for and against trading for the Washington star and ESPN’s Bobby Marks has come up with a mock trade for the Sixers to acquire Beal.
The fake trade proposal
Sixers get: Bradley Beal
Wizards get: Tobias Harris, Furkan Korkmaz, 2030 top 10 protected first-round pick
Why the Wizards do this deal
If the Wizards are serious about rebuilding, then this deal makes a lot of sense. Both Harris and Korkmaz are on expiring deals, so they would have immediate cap space for the 2024 offseason to make moves if they choose and they acquire a draft asset for the war chest. They can reap the benefits of both players and then they can move forward with their reset.
Why the Sixers do this deal
In the 2022-23 season, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 50.6% from the floor and 36.5% from deep. He can be a helpful player for a team with championship aspirations, so the Sixers benefit greatly there and, in this deal, keep Tyrese Maxey, which is the biggest part of this deal for them.
On the flip side, all of this hinges on Harden. If Harden comes back, there’s no reason to make a move for Beal. Even if he does leave, trading for Beal is risky. He’s on a big contract and he turns 30 before the 2023-24 season. He had a productive 2022-23, but he also only played 50 games due to injuries and the league’s health and safety protocol.