Getty Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards
James Harden leaving the Philadelphia 76ers is a legitimate risk this offseason. If he leaves in free agency this offseason, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that could mitigate the Sixers losing Harden.
Swartz proposed the following trade between the Sixers and the Washington Wizards.
Washington Wizards Receive: G Tyrese Maxey, F Tobias Harris, SG Furkan Korkmaz, F Danuel House Jr., 2029 first-round pick
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: SG Bradley Beal, F Kyle Kuzma (via sign-and-trade)
Swartz explained that the new front office regime in Washington could push them into trading Beal, while losing Harden could push the Sixers to acquire Beal.
“With a new front office in Washington, we could finally see a Beal trade after 11 years with the franchise.
“This deal only goes down if James Harden leaves the 76ers in free agency, opening up the need for another All-Star guard to join the backcourt. Beal and Kuzma restock the Sixers with talent around Joel Embiid, keeping them in the title hunt,” Swartz wrote.
He added that Maxey and Harris help the Wizards remain competitive while also adding a good asset in the process.
“Maxey is the perfect replacement for Beal, as he’s seven years younger and coming off a career-high 20.3 points per game. One of the fastest players in the game, Maxey has also become an elite three-point shooter (43.4 percent) as well.
“Washington stays competitive with Maxey, Harris, and others while also adding a future unprotected first-round pick from the Sixers.”
Gordon Hayward Floated as Trade Target
With Harris’ $39.3 million expiring contract, the Sixers could look to trade him for more help. Podcaster Adam Aaaronson of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez mentioned Gordon Hayward as a possible trade option for the Sixers.
“The Charlotte Hornets jump out to me as well. They have Gordon Hayward on an expiring contract about $8 million cheaper than Harris’ deal. Hayward would make a lot of sense as a target if Harden walks, as the Sixers would need more reliable ball-handling,” Aaronson wrote.
Hayward was once an all-star caliber player during his days with the Utah Jazz, but a string of unfortunate injuries during his time with the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets cut his prime short, but Hayward is still a productive basketball player when he’s on the court.
In the 50 games he played for the Hornets during the 2022-23 season, Hayward averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Knicks Hoping Joel Embiid Requests Trade
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon revealed on the June 1 episode of “The Hoop Collective” that the New York Knicks are keeping tabs on the Joel Embiid situation in the hopes that he’ll request a trade.
“(The Knicks) are not hoping for patience. They’re hoping for The Process. I don’t know if that’s coming, but they’ve looked at that situation in Philly, and there’s been a hope in New York that stuff in Philly will go haywire to the point where Embiid will ask out,” MacMahon said.
MacMahon added that the odds aren’t high, but that’s not deterring the Knicks.
“I don’t know the percentage odds on that, I would say they are slim, but that’s been the hope.”