The Wizards were once rumored to be among the teams likely to be Ben Simmons‘ next home and much of the talk of the 25-year-old heading to Washington has severely died down.
The Sixers have a clear interest in Beal, though he’s simply not available in trade talks, as multiple sources continue to reiterate to FortyEightMinutes. Without Beal on the table, constructing a trade is difficult, though not impossible.
The Russell Westbrook deal brought newfound flexibility to the Wizards, giving them arguably their deepest team since the Gilbert Arena-era. It doesn’t appear that the Sixers are willing to trade Simmons without receiving an All-Star-caliber player in return. Yet, if Philadelphia ends up settling for picks and prospects, the Wizards have the pieces to compete with offers on that level.
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More From Washington
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell will be eligible to be included in trade packages on Monday, September 27. The three former Lakers arrived in Washington via the Westbrook trade.
- GM Tommy Sheppard indicated that minutes will be distributed based on performance in an open competition setting, as he told FortyEightMinutes and other media on Thursday. The center spot will be an area to keep an eye on and Sheppard hinted that Harrell may see significant run. “When you have someone like Montrezl Harrell on the roster, he’s going to play,” Sheppard said while adding that the center’s energy is “infectious.”
- Washington remains optimistic about Deni Avdija going forward, as Sheppard explained. Avdija is 100 percent healthy, though he’ll be eased back into things as the Wizards ramp up for the season.
- Matt Modderno of Bullets Forever examines a list of still-available free agents the Wizards should keep tabs on, including DeMarcus Cousins and Ed Davis. Washington picking up another veteran center may hinge on whether or not Thomas Bryant (ACL injury) is able to make a smooth return to the court early on in the season.
- ICYMI: We examined three underrated questions on the Wizards heading into the 2021-22 season.
