NBA Rumors: Proposed Three-Way Blockbuster Would Send Bradley Beal To Sixers Without Sacrificing Ben Simmons
As they continue to lose games in the 2020-21 NBA season, rumors surrounding All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal and his future with the Washington Wizards have started to heat up once again. The Wizards have yet to make Beal officially available on the market, but if he expresses his desire to leave, they would have no other option but to listen to offers for him before the 2021 trade deadline. As of now, several title contenders who are in dire need of additional star power have already been linked to Beal, including the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a recent article, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed a three-team blockbuster deal that would enable the Sixers to land Beal without sacrificing Ben Simmons. In the suggested trade scenario, the Sixers would get Beal and the Wizards would receive Danny Green, Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, a first-round selection in 2021 and 2023, a second-round selection in 2021 and 2025, and the right to swap future first-rounders in 2024 and 2026. The Charlotte Hornets, who would serve as the third team, would acquire Vincent Poirier and a 2023 second-round pick.
Even without the inclusion of Simmons in the package, the Wizards may definitely think twice before passing on the deal. Aside from a plethora of future draft assets, they would also be obtaining three young and promising talents in Maxey, Thybulle, and Milton, who could join Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija and form the core of the next title-contending team in Washington.
“Tyrese Maxey appears to be a genuine multilevel scorer who works his butt off guarding on-ball. Matisse Thybulle is a legitimate defensive nuisance, and his stock will skyrocket if his three-pointer ever starts falling. Shake Milton has scored his way into the Sixth Man of the Year discussion. None of these players are older than 24, and they will all be under team control for at least the next two years.”
Meanwhile, the proposed scenario would definitely leave Philadelphia’s war chest of draft assets almost empty. However, it’s the type of sacrifice they may be willing to make in order to keep their young superstar duo of Simmons and Joel Embiid while improving their chances of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Of all the superstars who are linked to the Sixers, Beal is the one who could bring the best out of Embiid and Simmons on the court. Sharing the floor with an elite three-point shooter like Beal could open more driving lanes for Embiid and Simmons, which would make it easier for them to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when they are trapped by the opposing team’s defense. Though he could excel in an off-ball capacity, Beal could also help Philadelphia lessen the burden on Simmons’ shoulders in terms of ball-handling and playmaking.
If they mesh well on the court and stay away from any major injury, the “Big Three” of Beal, Simmons, and Embiid would give the Sixers a better chance of beating Eastern Conference title favorites like the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks in a best-of-seven series.
