In a shocking development on Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with guard Damian Lillard after two seasons with the team. It was officially announced that the Bucks will waive the 34 year-old All Star and stretch the $113 million remaining on his contract in order to add Myles Turner to the roster.
Philadelphia 76ers fans probably remember that Lillard was the source of trade speculation ahead of the 2023 season and the team was listed as a potential destination for the All-Star guard. Tyrese Maxey was viewed as a potential return for the Portland Trail Blazers in the return, a move that would have made him the face of that franchise going forward.
Ultimately, the 76ers viewed Maxey as untouchable and refused to include him in any trades with the Bucks which put an end to the trade discussions for good. The 76ers furthermore demonstrated their commitment to Maxey by rewarding him with a five-year, $204 million max contract ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
In hindsight, the 76ers absolutely made the right choice in choosing Tyrese Maxey over Damian Lillard.
While Lillard is still a very productive player, averaging 24.9 points per game in 2024, he is also 34 years old and likely entering the final years of his career. Combining his age with a recent Achilles injury, retaining him would have been a recipe for disaster.
At the time of the Milwaukee-Portland trade, the 76ers still had James Harden on the roster along with Joel Embiid. The potential combination of all three players seems intriguing on the surface, but this gives you an aging roster with no core foundation in sight. By keeping Maxey, the 76ers were able to build a strong core of young talent and proven veterans that should keep them in contention for years to come.
While the 2024 season was a tough one for the 76ers, they now have a young core for the foreseeable future with Maxey, Jared McCain, and VJ Edgecombe leading the pack. This certainly puts them in a much better position going forward then they would be with an aging Damian Lillard who prior to being waived still had two years and $113 million left on his contract, an extension he signed while still a member of the Trail Blazers.
While the jury is still out on whether the Philadelphia 76ers can make a run with a good balance of young talent and proven veterans, they certainly made the right call in keeping Tyrese Maxey and resisting the urge to acquire Damian Lillard.