Oddly enough, the trade landscape this season was dominated by the prospect of Giannis Antetokounmpo switching teams. While that obviously did not end up transpiring, teams were certainly invigorated when news about him becoming more amenable to playing for a new ball club came out of Milwaukee.
To be frank, the Philadelphia 76ers had no business even partaking in that thought piece given their lack of realistic and desirable assets to dangle away aside from perhaps VJ Edgecombe. But with the rumor mill gaining a new entry in that Giannis reportedly wants to play with a non-ball dominant guard, the 76ers might have just gotten a new reason to press harder on that front.
One might be able to assuage the peanut gallery by pointing to the fact that Tyrese Maxey, their lead guard, has a usage rate of 28.9 percent, but that only ranks 23rd among all qualified players. That is actually a relatively modest mark given that he is the fourth-leading scorer in the league with 28.9 points per outing. Put simply, he is of the archetype that the Greek Freak desires in a running mate.
The 76ers have exactly what Giannis Antetokounmpo wants
The two-time Most Valuable Player is still a top-three player in the league when healthy –– he has made that resoundingly clear this season when he was the early frontrunner for MVP before injuries hit him. Among all players reckoned to be available for taking in the trade market, no one even comes close to his acumen across the board.
So when he says that he prefers someone who is not ball-dominant, he is doubling down on how his skill set can be best optimized. And Maxey, who is a bona fide off-ball threat aside form being a lethal independent shot creator, should be the kind of star he wants to play next to at this point in his career.
Now, whether the 76ers have sufficient ammo to seduce the Bucks into a deal is a question for another day. But as everyone knows, actual interest on the part of the player to be traded is of paramount importance in getting to be a real player in the sweepstakes. In sum, Giannis has to include the 76ers in his preferred list of landing spots, and Maxey could certainly pique his interest in that regard.
It feels a tad moot and a bit of a stretch to advertise Tyrese Maxey in this regard, but with Daryl Morey intent on getting another star to come to Philly, the 76ers should want to dip their fingers on the Giannis Antetokounmpo bidding war when the offseason comes. After all, their chances are not zero.