The Philadelphia 76ers have repeatedly stated that they will only trade Ben Simmons for a player they similarly regard as a star.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal seemingly fits the bill.
And for the first time in a long time – he appears open to the general notion of getting dealt.
There is just one problem.
According to David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, there are two players the 76ers are presently refusing to include in any prospective trade that would land Beal in Philly.
“Philadelphia has made no secret that Beal is on its short list of players for whom it would trade disgruntled guard Ben Simmons, who has sat out all season.
“But the 76ers won’t include an additional piece, such as exciting young guard Tyrese Maxey, along with Simmons in a potential trade for Beal, per league sources. Philly has similarly held firm that it won’t put third-year forward Matisse Thybulle, a terrific wing defender, in a Simmons package.”
It’s telling that the Sixers are refusing to give up Maxey and Thybulle. The front office has made it no secret that it desperately wants a player of Beal’s caliber in return for Simmons. Now that the opportunity seems to have presented itself, those two are regarded highly enough to scuttle the whole thing.
Simmons has remained steadfast in his refusal to play for the Sixers. He doesn’t care how much cash it costs him. A trade that would see him going to D.C. and Beal coming to Philly, on its face, feels like a win for all parties involved.
The video speaks for itself. https://t.co/lRniycVCSO
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 2, 2022
Obviously Simmons has two squads he’d prefer to land with over the Wizards, but at this point he’d likely take anywhere other than Philadelphia.
Will the Wizards and 76ers ultimately be able to work something out before the trade deadline? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
