Getty Wizards stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are down 2-0 to the Sixers in their first-round playoff series.
It looked like Bradley Beal was committed to the Washington Wizards after denying trade rumors all year. Maybe not. Beal is considering requesting a trade prior to Thursday night’s NBA draft, per Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. And the Philadelphia 76ers are on his shortlist.
If there was ever a player that could potentially put Philly over the second-round playoff hump, it’s Beal. He averaged 30.0 points per game during Washington’s first-round playoff loss to Philly after finishing the 2020-21 campaign as the NBA’s second-leading scorer (31.1). The three-time All-Star could be interested in joining an “established winning environment,” per Fischer, and mentioned four teams: Sixers, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors.
Any proposed deal involving the Sixers would most likely include Ben Simmons and a combination of young players (see: Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle) and draft picks. But Beal — outside of Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard — might be the only guy capable of instantly elevating his new team into championship contenders. Fischer wrote the following:
Beal does not have a proverbial list of preferred destinations, but it was mentioned by multiple sources that he would welcome joining teams such as Boston, Golden State, Miami or Philadelphia — although Beal requesting a trade would all but guarantee an expansive bidding war across the league. The number of potential destinations and interested suitors could span a significant portion of the NBA.
“Beal’s the guy right now,” one assistant general manager said. “The one guy that could be available, that could help you win the whole thing.”
Bradley Beal would welcome joining teams such as Boston, Golden State, Miami or Philadelphia, per @JakeLFischer
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Toronto Raptors in Play for Simmons?
Here’s a dark horse franchise to keep an eye on in the Simmons’ sweepstakes: the Toronto Raptors. According to Marc Stein, the Guardians of the North have “expressed some interest in trying to find a way to get Ben Simmons.” The comments came during a recent interview on Chad Ford’s NBA Big Board podcast.
🎧NBA DRAFT TRADES POD W/ @TheSteinLine🎧
🏀Will the Pistons take Cade #1?
🏀Lillard to the Warriors? Sixers? Knicks?
🏀Westbrook to the Lakers?
🏀Beal trade options?
🏀What does Sam Presti have up his sleeve in OKC?
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The Raptors don’t have a huge budget, but Kyle Lowry’s $30 million contract is coming off the books and certainly helps. Toronto is also stocked with trade assets, including All-Star forward Pascal Siakam and the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft. They could conceivably be in the mix for Simmons, Beal, or Lillard.
Sixers ‘Underwhelmed’ with Trade Offers
Early reports suggested that rival front-office executives were laughing at Simmons’ poor play in the Eastern Conference semifinals, happily watching his stock plummet in the hopes of submitting a low-ball offer. And that is exactly how it has played out as the Sixers continue to hold out for an All-Star player in return.
Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck confirmed those “transparent attempts to lower Simmons’ value” and doubled down on the Sixers’ desire not to give their three-time All-Star away for nothing. For example, any proposed trade from the Sacramento Kings would be a non-starter without De’Aaron Fox.
“The Sixers are uninterested in packages returning multiple role players and picks in exchange for Simmons, according to a source familiar with the situation,” Neubeck wrote. “As one specific example, a source told Philly Voice the Sixers would not even entertain a discussion with the Sacramento Kings save for the inclusion of guard De’Aaron Fox in a potential deal, which they view simply as a starting point for talks.”
De’Aaron Fox has 42 PTS 🔥
It’s too easy