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It's no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be heavily involved in trade talks this offseason as they try to get past the second round of the playoffs. The Sixers are exploring trade options to move on from James Harden and apparently have no intention of including Tyrese Maxey in any trade discussions, even if it involves a superstar.
Brian Windhorst said on his podcast The Hoop Collective that the Sixers are adamant about keeping Maxey and want to make it very clear to teams that he's not available in trade talks. He went above and beyond in trying to push Philadelphia's message to anyone who is listening.
“Prime Michael Jordan is available? Don't call. 25-year-old LeBron James is available? Lose our number. Giannis Antetokounmpo says, ‘I want to be a Sixer.' If Tyrese Maxey is the ask, just keep walking,” Windhorst said.
While Maxey is a very good player, saying that the Sixers would not even entertain the thought of parting with him for the two leaders in the GOAT discussion and a two-time NBA MVP is absurd. Though the words are coming out of Windhorst's mouth, he seems to think that is Daryl Morey and Philly's stance when it comes to the 22-year-old guard.
What will the Sixers do?
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Maxey has improved his numbers each year since being drafted by the Sixers in 2020, averaging a career-high 20.3 points per game last season. He's entering the final season of his rookie deal but it's been reported that the Sixers won't sign him to a contract extension before this season to give the franchise some flexibility as it looks to add to the roster.
Philly is seen as a potential landing spot for Damian Lillard should he be traded by the Portland Trail Blazers and it would make sense to use Maxey as the key piece in a hypothetical trade. It doesn’t appear that Harden will be used as a centerpiece to acquire another star as he does not have much value in other teams' eyes.
There is not much wiggle room for the Sixers when it comes to improving the roster this offseason. They do not have a ton of valuable assets and leaving Tyrese Maxey out of trade discussions limits them even further. The franchise is reaching a potential boiling point when it comes to pressure, if it hasn’t already, given Joel Embiid's MVP status and the team's inability to make a deep playoff run with him on the roster.
With Harden deciding he wants to leave, this is a make-or-break summer for Morey and the Sixers. While there's no guarantee they'll be improved next season if they trade both Harden and Maxey for a crop of role players and Lillard, the fanbase would at least see it as an effort to get things moving in the right direction after an embarrassing playoff exit.
Maxey is well-liked by Sixers fans, but if you asked any of them if they'd rather have him than Damian Lillard, 100 out of 10o would pick Lillard. If there's a legitimate chance the Sixers can get Lillard, even if it means losing Maxey, they have to consider it.
