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Ben Simmons Rumors: 76ers Won't Include Tyrese Maxey in Trade for Bradley Beal
February 2, 2022
The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly don't want to part with additional pieces in a potential swap of guard Ben Simmons for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
According to David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, the Sixers have "held firm" in their stance that they specifically don't want to make guard Tyrese Maxey or wing Matisse Thybulle part of a package for Beal.
Despite that, the 76ers have "made no secret" that Beal is among the players they would be willing to take in exchange for Simmons.
The disgruntled Simmons asked for a trade during the offseason and hasn't played at all during the 2021-22 campaign, but the 76ers have been hesitant to trade him thus far.
Simmons, 25, is signed through the 2024-25 season. He has a solid resume with three All-Star nods in four seasons and a second-place finish in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
Despite not having Simmons available, the 31-19 Sixers are currently second in the Eastern Conference, just one game behind the first-place Chicago Bulls.
Superstar center and MVP candidate Joel Embiid has undoubtedly been the driving force behind Philly's success, but he is far from alone.
Maxey, who is in his second NBA season after going 21st overall in the 2020 NBA draft, has taken a huge leap forward in 2021-22. The 21-year-old guard is third on the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game, and he's averaging 4.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 three-pointers made while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Thybulle is one of the NBA's best young defenders and he is a key part of the Sixers' rotation, averaging 26.1 minutes per game. His averages of 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game don't necessarily leap off the page, but he is the type of player that winning teams need.
At the same time, the Sixers likely need a player of Beal's caliber to become true championship contenders.
The 28-year-old Beal is a three-time All-Star who averaged over 30 points per game in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. His scoring average is down to 23.2 points per game this season, but he is averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game.
The major issue for Beal this season is that he's shooting a career-worst 30.0 percent from beyond the arc, which is well below his career mark of 37.2 percent.
Philly needs another guard who is an elite shooter and scorer. While Beal hasn't necessarily been that this season, he is when playing his best.
Beal is essentially the opposite of Simmons, who is almost strictly a playmaker, defender and close-range shooter. He has made only five three-pointers in his entire career.
The Sixers are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference without Simmons, so trading him for someone like Beal could put them over the top and make them the favorite to reach the NBA Finals.
Washington would likely want more than just Simmons in return for Beal, though. If the Sixers are unwilling to part with any of their other young pieces, a trade may not be in the cards.