Subscribe
Follow Us
The NBA Trade Deadline is eight days away, and the rumor mill continues to heat up and the Sixers are always involved. Up until this point, the names on the market have been somewhat lackluster, but that could quickly change. Recently, speculation has started to rise on the Washington Wizards potentially moving on from All-Star guard Bradley Beal.
After a strong start to the year, the Wizards have continued to slide down the Eastern Conference. They have lost seven of their last ten games and sit at 12th place in the standings. This continued state of mediocrity could push the organization in a different direction and move its franchise cornerstone before the upcoming deadline.
Another team the basketball community is watching intently is the Philadelphia 76ers. Daryl Morey has a little over a week to move Ben Simmons for the best package available or drag this months-long saga into another offseason.
As we know, Morey has remained firm on the asking price for the Sixers' former No.1 pick. His goal continues to be acquiring a high-level player to pair alongside Joel Embiid for the prime of his career. With that in mind, the Sixers are a key team to watch if Washington does decide to make a major move.
In a recent story for The Athletic, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins discussed a potential deal between Washington and Philadelphia. While Beal is certainly on Morey's wishlist of players, it was reported the Sixers are unwilling to package Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle with Simmons to acquire Beal.
Morey has held on to Simmons this long awaiting a needle-moving player to become available via trade. While Beal certainly fits that criteria, the Sixers are right to be on the fence about parting with some of their young players to get a deal done.
Thybulle may have limitations on the offensive end of the court, but the Sixers are not in a position to lose his elite-level defense. He can be a game-changer on that side of the floor and will be needed come playoffs. There is a large number of perimeter threats that Philly will need to get past if they want to make a deep postseason run. If Thybulle is no longer on the roster, that would leave Danny Green and Tobias Harris as the top options to defending the opposing team's best perimeter player.
This season, Maxey has put his potential on full display. After being thrust into a full-time start position, the former first-round pick continues to show he is going to be a good player in this league for years to come. Outside of Joel Embiid, Maxey might be the closest thing the Sixers have to an untouchable asset.
Getting this level of production from a player on their rookie contract is huge for a team like the Sixers, who have a lot of money invested in their top players. Not to mention there is no telling how sound of a player he will become two to three years down the line.
Pairing a player like Beal with Joel Embiid undoubtedly increases the Sixers' title odds. That being said, parting with Maxey or Thybulle to get a deal done would fix one problem but might create another. This reported reluctance from Morey is valid as he prepares for a chaotic week leading up to the deadline.
