New intel on Sixers’ Beal trade pursuit is confounding originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
As the Sixers attempt to trade Ben Simmons for a star who actually wants to play in Philadelphia, it’s well known around basketball fans that Daryl Morey’s front office has a literal list of players who they’d accept in a deal.
Somewhere near the top of that list is Wizards star Bradley Beal, the ideal two-guard to pair with Joel Embiid. Beal is a bucket-getter of the highest degree, someone who can create at every level and gets his own offense at will.
But Beal has so far been reluctant to leave Washington, and the Wiz aren’t eager to part with their only star, which would signal the acceptance of a complete rebuild rather than an ongoing retool.
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And yet, with the Wizards toiling below .500 in the East and Beal approaching free agency this offseason, buzz around the league has shifted from “Beal is untouchable” to “Beal is untouchable… probably.”
In a new story released Wednesday on The Athletic, long-time NBA insider David Aldridge reported a bunch of new information about the Beal situation in the nation’s capital, including the Sixers’ pursuit of the 28-year-old.
One nugget in particular jumped out, and might concern Sixers fans…
“Philadelphia has made no secret that Beal is on its short list of players for whom it would trade disgruntled guard Ben Simmons, who has sat out all season. But the 76ers won’t include an additional piece, such as exciting young guard Tyrese Maxey, along with Simmons in a potential trade for Beal, per league sources. Philly has similarly held firm that it won’t put third-year forward Matisse Thybulle, a terrific wing defender, in a Simmons package.”
Morey isn’t interested in adding Matisse Thybulle to a deal that would return Bradley freakin’ Beal?
That’s… not ideal.
Thybulle is one of the league’s best defenders at 24 years old, a springy athlete who is a cult hero in Philadelphia sports fandom and a great guy to have on your team. I get it.
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But if you have to part with someone like Thybulle in order to land someone like Beal, you do it every time. You do it twice if you have to. This is non-negotiable.
Unless the Wizards’ demands beyond Simmons and Thybulle are also unreasonable, Morey should not be hesitating about sending Thybulle to Washington. He just shouldn’t.
Joel Embiid is currently playing at the highest level of his career. He’s the odds-on favorite to win MVP. You have no clue how long he’ll be able to keep up this level of play. Right now, with the Sixers in the No. 2 seed in the East and Embiid as elite as he’s ever been, this is your championship window. You’re sitting in it.
A Simmons, Thybulle, and picks-for-Beal swap still might not be enough to do it for Washington. But if that’s really one of the main hang ups for Morey? I’m a little concerned.
Because that’s a no-brainer.
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