Sixers: Why De’Aaron Fox is not the best Kings trade target

Why De’Aaron Fox and the Sixers are not a match

Let us start with the obvious — Tyrese Maxey. The 21-year-old has put himself in the All-Star conversation in just his second NBA season, averaging 18.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on ridiculous .510/.393/.885 shooting splits.

The Sixers already have one small, ultra-fast point guard whose primary skill set revolves around dribble penetration and at-rim scoring. Maxey is a better shooter than Fox, and he still has room to grow, with a feverish work ethic and a golden opportunity in front of him. There’s significant overlap between him and Fox.

That’s not to say Maxey and Fox couldn’t play together, but it would make for a misshapen and unbalanced backcourt. Fox is a poor shooter — 31.9 percent from 3-point range for his career, and a dismal 24.4 percent this season. He’s not Ben Simmons, and he’s not afraid of the 3-point line, but defenses are hugging him on the perimeter when afforded the chance to double Joel Embiid in the post.

Few offenses are more intrinsically linked to floor spacing than the Sixers, who need to give Joel Embiid room to work on the block and, now, have to give Tyrese Maxey room to drive the lane. Fox is a ball-dominant, downhill scorer who doesn’t provide value off the ball. Maxey doesn’t do much off the ball either. Fox is a more daring and developed playmaker than Maxey, and his passing would open up the offense in spots, but that wouldn’t be enough to offset the inefficient scoring and compressed spacing.

Maxey has plenty of time to grow as a passer, and he still has two years left on his rookie contract. Fox is in the first year of a five-year, $163 million extension. He has the potential to live up to that contract, and he’s by no means a bad player, but Maxey has been flat-out better this season. Why would Philadelphia risk diminishing Maxey’s growth in favor of Fox?