CAMDEN, N.J. — James Harden's days with the Philadelphia 76ers are over. He's headed to the Los Angeles Clippers after they finally found a trade package that the Sixers were willing to take. Harden may be happy that he's gone from the Sixers but Tyrese Maxey is not as enthused.

While Maxey may be thriving for the Sixers with a bigger role amid Harden's absence — as evidenced by his Eastern Conference Player of the Week award — the veteran guard played a part in his breakout to start the 2023-24 season. Maxey has previously spoken highly about Harden as a teammate for both what he can do on the court and how he looks to uplift teammates. Even after the prolonged drama between Harden and the team, including the uncertainty of whether he would play for the Sixers or not, that tune isn’t changing.

After the Sixers' first practice following the trade, Maxey recognized how both Harden and P.J. Tucker — who joined Harden in being traded along with Filip Petrusev — were positive influences with Philly in their respective stints.

“So much, man,” Maxey said when asked what he learned from Harden. “I texted him telling him I love him, told him I appreciate him. One thing that he really instilled in me is confidence. And I've always been a confident person but he made me even more confident than I already was.

“All I can do is appreciate him for that,” the Sixers' rising star continued. “He took me under his wing, taught me a lot of things as far as just being a professional in this league and how things go. So I appreciate him, I love him. Same thing with Tuck. Love those guys.”

The Sixers received veteran 3-and-D forwards Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris, a young, uber-athletic forward in K.J. Martin and draft picks from the Clippers. Maxey recalled watching the Los Angeles Lakers-Orlando Magic game and getting ready to sleep when news of the blockbuster trade broke. Now, he and the team must officially undergo the mindset shift that they’ve been preparing for since late June.

As a leading initiator on offense, Maxey has looked comfortable. He said that vocal leadership is a big area of focus he's still developing and that his coaches and teammates believe in him, which empowers him to play freely and at his best. The Harden trade saga didn’t get in the Sixers' way when it came to the season. Maxey said that the team as been “prepared” for the shoe to eventually drop.

“I think we've done a good job of keeping the main thing, the main thing and that's what's gotten us off to a solid start,” he said. “We have some really good guys that are focused, that are determined to go out there and play and show what we can do and a coach that's keeping our minds in the right place.”