For whatever reason Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal has been reluctant to leave D.C., but now, he's finally open to exploring trade options, as the February 10th NBA Trade deadline looms.
According to a new piece in The Athletic by David Aldridge and Josh Robbins, “For the first time in a long time, sources close to Beal indicate he’s not rejecting out of hand the notion of trade elsewhere — even though his preference is to remain with the Wizards.”
It's hard not to think about the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons when hearing that report, as Daryl Morey is likely salivating at the idea of pairing Beal with Joel Embiid.
Beal, 28, has spent his entire career with the Wizards after being selected with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Beal has played in 45 career playoff games, but just 11 since the 2017-18 NBA season, as the Wizards have continued to struggle.
Currently, Beal is out with a wrist injury.
The three-time All-Star and All-NBA 2021 third-teamer is a career 22.1 points per game scorer and a 37.2-percent three point shooter. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, Beal averaged over 30 points per game in each of those respective seasons, finishing 2nd in the NBA in scoring in each campaign.
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A Beal-Embiid combination would be extremely dangerous and an easy acquisition for the Sixers to make, as they continue to seek out a trade partner for Simmons.
Back in September, ESPN and D.C. native Tony Kornheiser suggested a Beal for Simmons swap would benefit both teams.
“This is a trade that benefits both teams,” Kornheiser said months ago. “If Bradley Beal goes to the Sixers they could win a title. He is what they need — and Ben Simmons is what 10 guys as rotational players need here. If he is a better player with a chance of scenery, he’ll close out the game.”
The question is, will Morey be able to hold onto Tyrese Maxey—one of the NBA's most improved players and ascending young guards—if an opportunity to acquire Beal presents itself. According to the story, the Sixers are unwilling to include Maxey in a Simmons for Beal trade.
When 94WIP posed the question on Twitter, the vast majority of Sixers fans said no, emphatically.
"I was worried to trade Ben, they were going to have to move Tyrese. I said, the way they could move him is, 'I'll take Ben, but I gotta have Tyrese.' And I said to Doc, please tell me that's not happening. He said, 'Never happen.' He said, 'Look at my eyes, that will never happen.' So I probably shouldn't say that publicly."
Some of the 94WIP hosts debated the trade idea on Twitter, with most disagreeing with the fan base.