NBA Trade Rumors: What's the Latest on Bradley Beal, Donovan Mitchell?

The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia concluded back in February. Although Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey teased that the saga

The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia concluded back in February. Although Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey teased that the saga could drag out for several years, the Brooklyn Nets' inability to keep James Harden happy served as a way out a lot earlier. 

Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond went to Brooklyn along with draft compensation. Meanwhile, the Sixers landed Harden and the former All-Star forward/center, Paul Millsap.

Morey’s home run swing ended in another strikeout for the Sixers. Following another second-round exit, the Sixers entered the offseason with the challenge of building a real contender around Embiid. 

Tyrese Maxey’s second-year emergence has the Sixers believing he should be marked untouchable, according to several reports. Joel Embiid obviously isn’t going anywhere. While James Harden could hit the free agency market and find a new home, he’s convinced he’ll be in Philly next season.

Daryl Morey mentioned Tobias Harris a lot during his exit interview as if the plan is to keep the borderline All-Star in Philly for next year, but that could just be Morey’s way of keeping the veteran forward happy while he attempts to find a team that’s willing to take on his rather large salary.

Based on reports, the Sixers seem committed to building around Embiid, Harden, and Maxey as the core guys. And according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Morey hasn’t finished hunting for another star after landing one for Simmons and others this past season.

Who’s Available?

Great question. Last season, the Sixers were linked to Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard many times. As the Blazers constantly disappointed, the basketball world waited for Lillard to grow disgruntled and finally ask for an exit. It never happened.

As it turns out, Lillard’s undying public loyalty to the Blazers is real. He won’t request a trade, and the Blazers remain committed to building around him even after selling off his longtime sidekick, CJ McCollum. Damian Lillard was and always is a pipe dream for the Sixers.

Another star that was frequently linked to Philadelphia last season was Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal. Similar to Lillard, Beal’s team has struggled to build a contender around him but that hasn’t forced the star guard to ask for a trade out.

Beal has a $36 million player option for this season. He could decline it and hit the open market or make his return to Washington. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the latter option seems to be Beal’s plan even though the Wizards ended the 2021-2022 season with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs for the third time in five seasons.

One other notable name that’s been brought up in trade rumors this offseason is Utah Jazz star, Donovan Mitchell. As the Jazz’s postseason struggles persist, there have been rumors hinting that Utah’s star duo of Mitchell and Rudy Gobert could split up, resulting in a trade for one or both of the stars.

However, Jake Fischer reports that Mitchell is “expected to remain committed” to the organization that drafted him 13th overall in 2017. The commitment must be mutual, of course, but there doesn’t seem to be any real smoke surrounding a Mitchell trade at this time — even if the All-Star was spotted courtside in South Philly during the Sixers’ second-round series against the Miami Heat.

A lot can change as the offseason progresses, but for right now, the market for star players is dry.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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