The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for another season that is unfortunately on pace to be defined by injuries—or at least the recovery from them. Paul George underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in July and Joel Embiid is still in the process of recovering from knee surgery of his own.
Both could be available at the start of the season, but their respective recovery processes have kicked the door wide open for Tyrese Maxey to prove that he can become a true franchise player.
Maxey, 24, has hit the ground running since the 76ers selected him at No. 21 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. He quickly emerged as a productive scorer and playmaker, and has now averaged at least 25.9 points per game in each of the past two seasons.
Embiid and George are the bigger names who will be trusted to put forth performances worthy of All-NBA acclaim, but their respective injury histories have opened a unique door for Maxey.
Maxey suffered an injury of his own in 2024-25, but still played 52 games—thus marking the first time in his career that he's appeared in fewer than 60. Along the way, he gained invaluable experience as a go-to scorer, learning the intricacies of what it takes to excel in a No. 1 role.
With that experience in tow and a defensive-minded backcourt partner in V.J. Edgecombe, Maxey will have every opportunity to prove he can be Embiid's equal and potential successor.
76ers' injury history has positioned Tyrese Maxey to make All-NBA leap
The notion that Maxey could become a franchise player is anything but unreasonable. He's not just a productive individual hoping to receive more touches, but a proven commodity who has progressively become one of the best offensive guards in the NBA.
That led Maxey to winning the Most Improved Player award and earning All-Star recognition during the 2023-24 season, when he averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists on .450/.373/.868 shooting.
Maxey's efficiency plummeted in 2024-25, as he averaged 26.3 points and 6.1 assists on .437/.337/.879 shooting. He dealt with injuries and the extended absences of his costars, however, and deserves credit for improving his two-point field goal percentage from 50.1 to 51.5 and his steals per game average from 1.0 to 1.8.
With newfound perspective on how to operate when Embiid or George aren't healthy or even just at their best, Maxey could make yet another leap in 2025-26.
Maxey's case for franchise player status is strengthened by the fact that he's already appeared in 41 playoff games, making 29 starts. He averaged 22.6 points on .461/.392/.917 shooting between his past three trips to the playoffs, reaching an entirely new level in 2024.
Philadelphia unfortunately lost in the first round to the New York Knicks, but Maxey showed out with superstar averages of 29.8 points and 6.8 assists on .478/.400/.893 shooting.
This all points to Maxey being ready to take on a superstar's burden during an ideally healthy regular season—and potentially fueling Philadelphia's team success. Doing so would certainly simplify matters for Embiid, 31, and George, 35, as they work their way back from injuries and surgeries.
There's no guaranteeing that Maxey can make the most difficult of leaps, but he's knocking on the door of franchise player status and could complete the next phase of his evolution in 2025-26.