Tyrese Maxey, the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has certainly shown flashes of what he can do for the Sixers. While the 39-point performance by Maxey earlier in the year has shown what he is capable of when he is at his best, he hasn’t had many notable performances since then. Maxey only plays 14 minutes per game and hasn’t particularly stood out in those limited minutes.
Maxey’s future as an NBA player is certainly promising and he should project to become an even better player but for a rookie on a team with championship aspirations and without a dominant, standout skill like Matisse Thybulle, it is hard for Maxey to get much usage and a secure spot in the lineup. Because the Sixers seem to be on the path to remain as contenders for the foreseeable future, Maxey’s role within the team now and moving forward should be taken into serious consideration.
Tyrese Maxey has shown flashes, but how does the unpolished rookie fit within the Sixers’ competitive aspirations?
Unlike Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Sixers’ competitiveness is not significantly dependent on Maxey’s improvement as a player. Therefore, Maxey could be best served as a young talent that the Sixers can take their time to develop and ease into the lineup in the way that they did with Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz, for example. While he may not be starting any time soon, he should improve consistently enough that he could be a key bench piece next season. Maxey is full of potential and the Sixers should do all they can to maximize his ability to reach his full potential during the time on his rookie contract.
If Maxey is not able to reach his potential quickly enough for the Sixers’ liking however, he could always be used as a key asset in a potential trade. We have seen over the last two years that the Sixers ownership is not hesitant to become involved in trade talks for superstar talent and if they continue this trend, it is inevitable that Maxey’s name will be involved in those conversations. However, given the amount of potential that is untapped from the promising rookie, Daryl Morey, and Elton Brand are likely to hesitate on giving him up for less than star talent.
While the Sixers may be the wrong place for a young rookie like Maxey, he is afforded the time and patience to develop into his full potential that wasn’t given to the likes of Embiid and Simmons. Maxey already shows signs of an extremely high ceiling and has shown to be an integral part of the team’s chemistry and camaraderie and the team should expect more of the same to come in the future. Regardless of whether Maxey develops into a contributing member or is used to trade for a key piece, the Sixers don’t lose from keeping the Kentucky product around.