The Philadelphia 76ers made a big trade in landing former MVP James Harden and the early returns from that deal have been promising. Harden and Joel Embiid look like they can be the best duo in basketball, while Tyrese Maxey has flourished with Harden in the lineup.
Harden, Embiid, and Maxey look like the making of a “Big 3” in Philly. That’s not including Tobias Harris and if he figures out how to play with Harden, this impressive trio could become an elite quartet. This core can surely compete for a title this season, but how will their title window be open for moving forward?
How long will the Philadelphia 76ers’ title window be open?
Three out of the four core players on the Sixers are in their primes. Embiid is 27 years old, Harden is 32 years old, and Tobias Harris is 29 years old. Harden and Embiid have aging concerns with Harden getting ready to enter his mid-30s and Embiid’s health history. Neither player is guaranteed to be able to play at the same level they currently are in three to four years.
That being said, they hopefully won’t have a major drop-off if there is any, and even if there is that’s where Harris and Maxey come into play. Harris should still be in his prime and Maxey should be knocking on the door of his prime.
Maxey is the key to keeping the 76ers championship window. Maxey is only 21 years old and he’s already shown real flashes of playing at an All-Star with and without James Harden in the lineup this year. Learning from an all-time great in Harden will only do positives for Maxey’s game.
There’s a real chance that whenever there’s a drop-off from either the Sixers’ superstars, Maxey can step up and be the second or even potential first option when that happens. He has that type of potential and the Sixers can easily say they have the steal from the 2020 NBA Draft. That should prolong their window if he becomes a multi-time All-Star.
The initial title window for the Philadelphia 76ers should be between three to four years, but it’s completely possible that it could stay open long if Maxey reaches his full potential.