The Philadelphia 76ers may have heavily relied on Tyrese Maxey running point last year, but if the franchise is going to reach its optimum level, that shouldn't be the case. The Sixers don't need another face of the franchise; they need a leader who is willing to accept an off-ball role -- and there aren't many better in the entire NBA at this than Maxey.
Tyrese Maxey's versatility can be Philadelphia's greatest asset
Maxey is a man with many talents -- something the 76ers must take advantage of. Throughout his career, he has tirelessly worked at becoming a complete player on both sides of the ball. While this has hugely benefited Philadelphia in the darkest hours of recent seasons, the franchise can now use Maxey's versatility in a completely different way.
The current narrative surrounding the Sixers is that the roster contains too many players who will demand the ball be in their hands. At this point, teething options are inevitable, but in the same breath, the franchise has an abundance of versatile options at its disposal to make this a relatively easy problem to solve.
Tyrese Maxey is one of these options. Throughout the 2025-26 season, the 25-year-old thrived as the team's leading playmaker -- averaging 6.6 assists per game. However, while his ball-distribution became a major asset to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse, it is a side of Maxey's game that can be shelved, allowing a more natural playmaker in the form of LeBron James to take the reins.
That doesn't mean that Maxey's importance to Philadelphia's championship ambitions has diminished -- in fact, it has never been more vital. Mike Gansey may have recruited some impressive weapons over the summer, but none of them can devastate teams off the ball as he can.
A new role could make Maxey even more dangerous
After recording a career-high 28.3 points per game, it's pretty hard to believe that Tyrese Maxey could take another offensive leap next season, yet it is very likely. Numerically, this may not be the case, but the way he scores will be critical in any success that the Sixers have.
Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and even VJ Edgecombe, to a certain extent, are going to be very happy to isolate their opponents and attack the basket at every given opportunity. While James may not have the explosive movements he once boasted, his mentality will remain aggressive. This leaves Maxey with an important off-the-ball role that will rely on cutting to the basket and creating separation on the perimeter to bury shots from deep.
Averaging 36.7% from deep during the 2025-26 season proves that this is a responsibility that Maxey will thrive upon. Over the years, the NBA has seen teams prosper with a player like this on their team. Ironically, Bob Myers' greatest project in the Golden State Warriors would never have won a championship if it hadn't utilized Steph Curry in a similar manner.
Comparing Maxey to Steph Curry -- one of the greatest ever to shoot a basketball -- may be an unfair burden. Nevertheless, it should be one the player indulges. Altering his offensive role will not only help Nick Nurse solve the biggest tactical conundrum of his career, but also create another headache for opposition defenses.
From the outside looking in, the Philadelphia 76ers have an abundance of problems to solve on both sides of the ball. However, Tyrese Maxey's impressive ability to hurt teams off-ball could be a simple solution that takes the Sixers star to the next level.
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