Getty Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid (left) and James Harden (right).
The Philadelphia 76ers have their guy in James Harden, and with him they’ll be making a championship run, but they might not be done filling out their roster.
While things look to be quite set for the rest of the season with the signing of DeAndre Jordan, the offseason will give the team another chance to retool things and possibly move on from Tobias Harris.
Harris is on a massive contract and he was one of the team’s top options, but the trade for Harden and emergence of Tyrese Maxey has effectively made him a highly paid fourth option. While he’s still an effective piece, his contract will likely be something the team looks at in the offseason and potentially tries to move.
There are a lot of different options to look at, but former number one overall pick and NBA champion Andrew Bogut says he’s heard a rather spicy rumor that would link the Sixers to one of the biggest names in the NBA.
Bradley Beal to the Sixers
Bradley Beal to the Sixers?
Haters will say there is only one ball (via @RogueBogues)
Bogut says he’s heard a rumor that Bradley Beal could come over to the Sixers via a trade for somebody like Tobias Harris.
“I heard a pretty big rumor, bro, from some people that are pretty close to the situation in the NBA,” he says. “Big 3 to Philly. Brad Beal. Trying to get to Philadelphia in the offseason to team up with Harden and Embiid. Philly is desperately, obviously, to try to get off Harris anyway, they have been for a while. I think they’re even more desperate to free up that cap space now. Most likely will have to be a sign-and-trade with Philly, but don’t be surprised to see a Big 3 formed in Philly.”
This comes from Bogut’s Rogue Bogues podcast, and while he doesn’t name his source, he does say they are plugged into the NBA, so he believes them to be credible. Bogut hasn’t exactly broken a story like Adrian Wojnarowski or Shams Charania have, so it’s important to take this information with a grain of salt.
Beal in Philadelphia would be a huge move, and it’d certainly be the makings of a very dangerous team. With the back court of Harden and Beal, that’s a duo that could compete with anybody, and that’s not even taking MVP candidate Embiid into account.
Would it Work?
GettyJames Harden and Joel Embiid are a fearsome duo.
While Harden’s reputation mostly centers around his scoring prowess, he’s no slouch at playmaking.
If Beal did come over in a trade, Harden would likely man the point guard on a full-time basis and he’s proven he’s more than up to the task there. With Beal and Embiid in the lineup, it’d be very possible for him to even lead the league in assists.
In four games with the Sixers, Harden has surpassed 10 assists in the three of them, and he hit nine in the lone game he didn’t reach double digits. Philadelphia is also undefeated with him in the lineup, so the early returns are very promising.
Adding Beal to the mix would make them even deadlier, but they’d have to also make sure they can still fill out the roster with some more depth. Of course, this does also hinge on the fact that Harden decides to stay with the Sixers long term.
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