Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal ask out of Portland/Washington
A man can dream and for Daryl Morey, he sees both Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal next to the sheep in his dreams every night. The best-case scenario for the Philadelphia 76ers in regards to trading Ben Simmons is that either Lillard or Beal request a trade sometime during the first half of the 2021-22 season.
However, it does not seem like either player is going to look to ask out of their current situations right now. Damian Lillard has stated time and time again that he wants to win a title in Portland and while this may not realistically be possible, this has not stopped him from being a true leader.
When asked about the potential of him looking to be traded elsewhere if the team starts out flat this season, Lillard did not back down from his previous comments. “I’ll answer that the way I answered it on media day, and the same way I’ve been answering it. Everybody’s been saying what they think I’m thinking or what they think I’m gonna do,” Lillard told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m not leaving Portland… It’s an easy thing and a popular thing to say but it’s not gonna happen.”
Coming from Damian Lillard himself, it seems pretty reasonable to believe that the 6x All-Star is not going to be leaving Portland this season, but what about Bradley Beal and his situation with the Washington Wizards?
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Well, Beal did not request a trade this offseason, even though the team looked to rebuild and re-tool around him once again, and he is eligible for a mega-contract extension next offseason should he remain a member of the Wizards all season long.
Next offseason, Bradley Beal is going to be eligible to receive a $235M max contract extension with the Wizards, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
All indications point to the team offering him this deal next year, so why would Beal request a trade and leave? Of course, he wants to win a title at some point in his career, but that is a lot of money to turn down, especially since another team could only offer him close to $50M less than this contract the Wizards can.
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Obviously if one or both guys become available in trade talks, the Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to move Ben Simmons for one of them, but at the end of the day, it is a long shot for either Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal to request a trade this season.
