Despite losing John Wall to a season-ending injury, the Washington Wizards remain competitive in the 2018-19 NBA season. As of now, the Wizards have won seven of their last 10 games and are currently sitting in the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 20-26 record. Weeks before the February NBA trade deadline, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis made it known to the entire league that they will “never, ever tank” and don’t have any plans for a huge roster shakeup.
However, that didn’t stop several NBA teams from inquiring on the availability of some of their players via trade, including All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal. Beal is currently considered the Wizards’ most valuable trade chip. Trading Beal could give the Wizards enough assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process.
Once the Wizards finally decide to move Bradley Beal, one of the NBA teams who’s expected to express strong interest is the Philadelphia 76ers. The recent acquisition of Jimmy Butler has undeniably made the Sixers one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but they obviously need more star power to have a real chance of winning the 2019 NBA championship.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report , the Sixers’ projected starting lineup of Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler, J.J. Redick, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid have the ability to match the Golden State Warriors’ firepower.
“First, let’s dream about the havoc a Beal-Butler-Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid-JJ Redick quintet could wreak on the East. That might be the closest anyone gets to the Golden State Warriors in terms of the volume and quantity of offensive triggers together. Given Philly’s needs for outside shooting and supplemental playmaking, Beal seems to be the ideal acquisition.”
Wizards give 76ers a little payback as Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr. fuel rout. https://t.co/X5Qw2tXsUf
— NBA River (@nbariver) January 19, 2019
Bradley Beal will give the 76ers another reliable scoring option, as well as a legitimate threat from beyond the arc. This season, the 25-year-old shooting guard is averaging 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals on 46.7 percent shooting from the field, and 35.3 percent shooting from the three-point range. Adding another floor-spacer will help the Sixers maximize Jimmy Butler’s effectiveness on the floor, as it will be easier for him to penetrate the opposing team’s defense.
To acquire him from the Wizards, Buckley suggested that the 76ers could offer a trade package including Markelle Fultz, Wilson Chandler, Furkan Korkmaz, a 2019 second-round pick, and a 2021 first-round pick for Bradley Beal. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine. The Sixers’ suggested trade offer will give the Wizards a starter kit if ever they decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild. However, the success of the trade depends on how the Wizards view Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
