Getty Bradley Beal celebrates with Zach LaVine
The James Harden for Ben Simmons swap came together in the nick of time. The Philadelphia 76ers made the most of an extremely awkward situation and the trade breathed “new life” into everyone involved.
But what if Daryl Morey and Sean Marks had hung up the phone on each other and never completed the deal? Rest assured, the Sixers had a backup plan and Morey told the “The Rights to Ricky Sanchez” podcast that he almost pulled the trigger on it “three or four days” prior to the Harden deal.
“I would say we had one other – I would call it almost a very good option that we liked, but then it looked like the James thing could happen, so,” Morey said, via CBS Sports. “And then, for reasons that would reveal who i’m talking about, I can’t really say why it sort of shifted, but it shifted.”
It doesn’t take too much sleuthing to undercover whom Morey was talking about. Bradley Beal injured his left wrist on January 29, then opted for season-ending surgery to repair it on February 8. The three-time All-Star was thought to be high on the Sixers’ wish list throughout the offseason, but the Washington Wizards had been unwilling to trade him.
That is, until the team started tanking in the standings. Remember, Beal holds a $36.4 million player option for next season. Morey also revealed that he had a “whole plan of convincing” Simmons to suit up and play for the Sixers this season. The team president admitted it would have taken a “lot of persuasion.”
The latest Sixers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Sixers newsletter here!
Tyrese Maxey, Scottie Barnes Roasted on Twitter
The Clorox Clutch Challenge matters little in the grand scheme of things but the inaugural shooting competition during All-Star Weekend had Twitter in tatters. Fans flocked to social media to mock Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes who couldn’t buy a close-range bucket.
The two were paired up as one of four duos as they sought to mimic iconic shots from NBA playoff history, including Charles Barkley’s jumper from the top of the key and Damian Lillard’s three-pointer from the logo. It didn’t go well.
This might of been funnier than watching Scottie Barnes and Tyrese Maxey go 0/6 on close shots 😂
Meanwhile, Team Barry beat Team Isiah 25-20 in the championship round of the Rising Stars Game. Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham walked away with MVP honors on Friday night.
Sixers Trolled Bucks After Thursday’s Win
Kudos to the Sixers’ social media team after Philly’s 123-120 win over Milwaukee on Thursday night. They tweeted out a jovial photo of Joel Embiid and called him the “The King of Milwaukee” after the All-Star center dropped 42 points on the Bucks. Embiid also finished with 14 rebounds and four assists.
The not-so-subtle jab was in response to a post from the Bucks’ social media team after their last meeting. Milwaukee won that one 118-109 behind 31 points and 16 rebounds from Giannis Antetokuonmpo.
“That was a game that I’ll say we kind of needed,” Tobias Harris said, via The Associated Press, “just to push us back and understand we’ve got a lot of work to do, to focus.”