Sixers: 3 players with most to gain from Ben Simmons trade

3 Sixers with most to gain from Ben Simmons trade: Tyrese Maxey

Maxey is arguably the team’s biggest beneficiary from a Simmons trade. The dynamic 20-year-old slasher would see a significant increase in his role and minutes — making it even more confusing that Rich Paul seems to be using Maxey as a pawn in the Ben Simmons negotiation shenanigans.

With Simmons gone from the starting lineup, Maxey is the most logical choice to slot into his role as point guard. There are other options that arguably make sense on paper — Shake Milton or Matisse Thybulle, for example — but Maxey is the only playmaker on the roster who feels capable of being the team’s primary initiator.

Going from averaging just 8.0 points per game and being removed from the rotation for a fairly large portion of his rookie season to starting for the Eastern Conference’s reigning top seed as a sophomore feels like a tremendous glow-up for Maxey. But it’s inarguable that he’s earned the privilege of an extended chance, especially after looking dominant in his brief summer league cameo.

Hopefully, Maxey’s brilliant Game 6 performance against the Hawks is a sign of things to come, and he’s ready to take the reins from Simmons as Philadelphia’s point guard. If the jump shot can progress even a little bit, Maxey will find himself with all sorts of space to utilize his elite first step and finish in the now-unclogged paint.

On top of the basketball fit, Maxey has also become a fan favorite during his short tenure with the Sixers, meeting with the Philly faithful and hosting charity events around the city. It’s hard to imagine a personality more diametrically opposed to Simmons’s than Maxey’s jolly, fun demeanor, but fans of the team will absolutely love having a ball handler they can wholeheartedly root for again.