Sixers X Factor: Evaluating Tyrese Maxey’s Future Impact

The Philadelphia 76ers have until October 23 to decide on whether to hand Tyrese Maxey a contract extension. The third-year guard has been the brightest spot for the team over two-plus years of increasingly failed expectations as he has continued to grow and develop his game.

Maxey, with an affable personality that meshes well with Joel Embiid, has arguably been the best player on the court at times but reports indicate that the team is content to wait until 2024 to extend him. The Sixers want to “preserve as much salary-cap space as possible,” per The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, thus shutting the door on a new contract for Maxey this year. Remember, the Kentucky product is eligible to receive a five-year, $213 million rookie-scale extension. Pompey explained the situation as such:

"If Maxey does not receive an extension, he will become a restricted free agent next summer. He would then be able to sign an offer sheet with any team. However, the Sixers could retain him by matching the terms of that offer. The franchise is invested in keeping Maxey long-term, and holding off on a deal would potentially clear a pathway to another max salary."

That simply means that Maxey’s number isn’t going to drop. If anything, those figures could rise since Spotrac already thinks he’s “easily worth” 25% of the (not-yet-determined) 2024-25 salary cap with 8% annual raises built in for the remainder of his deal. Maxey is going to get paid.

Meanwhile, the Sixers are in no rush to extend their rising star guard considering the uncertainty facing them. Remember, James Harden ($35.6 million) and Tobias Harris ($39.2 million) remain on the roster despite all the trade rumors. The Sixers may keep the band together for one more run before going in a different direction.

Whether James Harden returns or not this season seems to be irrelevant to what the Sixers expect out of Tyrese Maxey this coming season. The 22-year-old guard has improved in multiple statistical categories every single year since going 21st overall in the 2020 NBA draft. It’s been a meteoric rise, dare we say, Jalen Hurts-esque?

"Maxey in 2020-21: 8.0 points and 2.0 assists in 15.3 minutes per game; 46.2% from the field, 30.1% from three-point land; 61 total games. Maxey in 2021-22: 17.5 points and 4.3 assists in 35.3 minutes per game; 48.5% from the field, 42.7% from three-point land; 75 total games. Maxey in 2022-23: 20.3 points and 3.5 assists in 33.6 minutes per game; 48.1% from the field, 43.4% from three-point land; 60 total games."

It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him take another major step in his development as he enters his fourth professional season. It’s kind of expected. ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne recently reported that Maxey has been in the lab all summer — working out with his trainer, Chris Johnson, as well as with Joel Embiid’s trainer Drew Hanlen.

Interestingly, Shelburne dropped this little nugget (h/t Dave Malandra):

"“Tyrese Maxey is expected to have a major role for the Sixers. He will have an even bigger role for the Sixers if James Harden does not play for them this year, but it’s go time for Tyrese Maxey. And Joel Embiid, he’s very excited about the team with James Harden … he’s also very excited about the ceiling for Tyrese Maxey because you’ve seen him grow. They are obviously not extending him this summer but he is a big part of their future and they will extend him when the time comes.”"

Again, the Sixers are waiting for the right time to reward Maxey. His extension is given once the franchise figures out how it wants to structure the future while managing the NBA’s ever-changing salary cap.

Don’t hate the messenger. Tyrese Maxey’s name has come up in trade talks dating back to the 2022 trade deadline when the Sixers unloaded Ben Simmons for James Harden. They were able to hold on to their “untouchable” young star at that time and multiple reports have surfaced this offseason since saying that Maxey remains off-limits in any trade scenario.

Still, the conspiracy theorists out there think there’s a chance. Bleacher Report included the Sixers on a short list of teams that could string together a potential trade package for Damian Lillard. In it, they have James Harden “rerouted to a third team, probably the Clippers” while sending Maxey and “the few draft assets Philly has” to Portland in exchange for Lillard.

As tempting as the superstar duo of Joel Embiid and Damian Lillard would be to a Sixers’ franchise unapologetically in win-now mode, this trade doesn’t make much sense. For starters, Lillard only wants to be traded to the Miami Heat. He seems content to sit out the season if his demands aren’t met. And, secondly, Maxey is too valuable to the Sixers.

There is another further-down-the-road possibility that people are forgetting: Embiid could ask for a trade if everything falls apart. If that happens, Maxey instantly becomes the face of the franchise and the Sixers start a rebuilding process around their electrifying 6-foot-2 guard.