The Ben Simmons saga remains alive and well in Philadelphia. Will the Sixers cut ties with the 25-year-old All-Star before the trade deadline kicks in? Many signs point towards no, and it's not due to a lack of deals on the table for the Sixers.
Teams are interested in Simmons, but Daryl Morey hasn't received the home run offer he desires. From the jump, the Sixers have made it clear that they want another star in return for Simmons' services.
Over the offseason, all eyes were on Damian Lillard as his relationship with the Portland Trail Blazers was in question. In addition, the Sixers kept their eyes on Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards as well.
While there was a lot more smoke surrounding Lillard's potential departure from the Blazers, the star guard couldn't have made it more clear that he won't be re-locating this season and beyond.
As for Beal, his situation is slightly different. Therefore, the Sixers continue to monitor the veteran guard, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
"Philadelphia is not necessarily holding onto Simmons to acquire Harden this summer, sources said. But it seems both the Sixers front office and Harden himself are viewing that potential marriage as a backstop for their respective futures. Philadelphia officials and executives across the league continue to monitor Bradley Beal's status in Washington."
Beal never indicated he wanted out of Washington. However, he currently refuses to sign an extension with the Wizards as he wants to be "selfish" for the first time.
"I got time, so I kinda hold the cards right now," Beal told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports back in December. "I've never been in this position. I'm kinda embracing that, being able to kinda dictate how I want my future to be and where I want it to be."
Beal has been loyal to Washington throughout his entire career. While he remains a member of the Wizards and hasn't requested a way out as they've struggled throughout the years, the All-Star guard seems to be interested in potentially moving on. In that case, the Sixers would likely become one of his top suitors.
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