Report: Sixers Refuse to Include Thybulle, Maxey in Trade for Bradley Beal

The NBA trade deadline is almost here. Surprisingly, the Philadelphia 76ers have yet to trade away their disgruntled guard Ben Simmons, who requested a trade back in June.

When Simmons officially hit Philly's trade block, it seemed there was only a matter of time before he found a new destination. But as Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey made it clear that it would cost a top-tier player to land Simmons, valid offers haven't been easy to come by.

Early on, the Sixers eyed up potential targets such as Portland's Damian Lillard and Washington's Bradley Beal. However, Lillard never requested a trade as many expected him to, and he doubled down on his loyalty to the Blazers.

As for the Wizards, they started the season off on a high note, which made it unlikely for Beal to request out early on. These days, though, the Wizards have come back to face reality as they are 23-27, sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference.

In the upcoming offseason, Bradley Beal will become a free agent. While he could test the market, many expect Beal to return to the Wizards for financial purposes. But as the trade deadline approaches, there is always a possibility the Wizards could capitalize on Beal's value now by trading him away.

Philly Has Interest

According to Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic, the Sixers remain interested in Bradley Beal as one of the possible return pieces for Simmons.

Earlier in the year, Washington might have been able to net Simmons along with a high-upside youngster such as Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle in exchange for Beal. But now, more than halfway through the season, Robbins and Aldridge report that kind of offer would no longer be available to Washington.

"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."

The idea that Thybulle is nearly untouchable is nothing new. Just a couple of weeks ago, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reiterated that the chances of the standout defender getting moved are slim to none.

While that hasn't always been the case for Maxey, his second-year emergence has made it hard for the Sixers to consider cutting the cord early -- even if he moves the needle to land another All-Star.

This season, Maxey has doubled his scoring average as he puts up 16 points per game. And coming off of a year where he shot 30-percent from beyond the arc, Maxey is now draining 40-percent of his long-range attempts.

Maxey's on-court improvement mixed with his growing chemistry with Sixers star Joel Embiid has reached levels that will make it extremely difficult for Philadelphia to move on from their former first-round pick.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.