As conversations around the Sixers continue to swirl—with league MVP Joel Embiid recently saying he’d want to win a title in Philadelphia “or anywhere else” and executive Daryl Morey explaining he’d work to fulfill James Harden’s trade request to go elsewhere if he can get a sensible return for him—one factor looms heavily in the background for this coming season: Tyrese Maxey.
The fourth-year guard, who turns 23 years old in November, will almost certainly need to be sensational this coming season in order for the Sixers to make a run at the title.
Perhaps that’s an obvious takeaway in light of the team having been knocked out in the second round five times over the past six seasons—that players with growth potential will need to bring even more to pull Philly over the line in 2024. But Maxey’s role becomes more vital with Harden, 33, hoping for an exit strategy to the Clippers, and Embiid, 29, talking like he might be on the lookout for one if the contending Sixers fall short again over the next season or two.
