In a surprising twist this offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have been tied to the Kevin Durant drama. This summer, the former MVP has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and it was recently rumored that Durant has an interest in landing on the Sixers.
If any trade were to materialize it would only make sense for the Nets to be interested in the 76ers up-and-coming guard Tyrese Maxey. The question becomes should Philly offer their young guard who has All-Star potential for Brooklyn’s Aging superstar?
The Philadelphia 76ers should keep Maxey off the table in trade talks for Durant.
The answer to the question might surprise some as no, but there are good reasons why they shouldn’t. To be clear, Durant is by far, the much better player than Maxey at this moment. However, that alone shouldn’t make trading Maxey for Durant a no-brainer.
Let’s look at the age gap first. Durant is 33 years old and Maxey is 21 years old, which is a 12-year age gap. Durant presents a better chance to compete in the next few years, but Maxey has the potential to not only help now but also carry the club beyond Joel Embiid’s prime.
Another thing to consider is Durants injury history. Since Durant has returned from his torn Achillies, has only played in 88 games in two seasons. When he can play, he’s played great, but his ability to stay healthy has been an issue for the 12-time All-Star. Maxey hasn’t had injury problems up to this point in his career.
Including Maxey in a potential Durant trade would be short-sighted and a gamble on Durant’s health that is a risky wager at this point. If the Nets aren’t interested without Maxey being on the table, then the Philadelphia 76ers should walk away from all talks.