As the Philadelphia 76ers figure out what to do with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey is in the lab working on his game. As he prepares for the season, the Sixers' young star isn’t ignoring what’s going on with his team.

Maxey noted on his podcast “Maxey on the Mic” that the Sixers are no strangers to a star player holding out and demanding a trade. “It’s crazy to say this but it’s not our first rodeo,” he said, inferring to the Ben Simmons situation from the 2021-22 season. In regard to the Harden situation, he said that it's all love for his veteran teammate.

“James is his own individual. He's able to do whatever he pleases,” Maxey said, adding that Harden is a good friend and mentor. “I'm preparing right now to play with him or without him. That’s just the business side of it. And there’s no love lost. I love James to death. If he decided he was gonna come back and play with us, I think there’s nobody in this organization that would be upset about that.”

The Sixers looked to honor Harden's trade request but have also stated that they would be pleased to have him back. The message coming from Harden is making it clear staying in Philly is not in the cards anymore. Harden called Sixers president of basketball operations a liar, said that he will never be a part of an organization that he's with and views his relationship with the team as beyond repair.

Should Harden refuse to take the court, Maxey said that the Sixers still can’t view this upcoming season as a wash.

“We have talent. We have the reigning MVP on our team,” Maxey said. “We have to go out there and expect to win and expect to still try to complete our goal [of a championship]. It'll be definitely even more difficult now that one of our best players, as of right now, decided he doesn’t wanna come back and play — and that’s how life goes.”

Maxey called on himself and his Sixers teammates to raise their level of play, noting that guards like Jaden Springer and De'Anthony Melton may see upticks in their roles. He anticipates being a primary ball-handler and playmaker with Harden out but noted that he could do it by committee with other key players like Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

Maxey discussed his offseason workout regimen with Tim Martin, a basketball trainer who has worked with him for a while. He said that, in addition to Martin planning workouts on specific skills for him, he'll come to Martin with suggestions based on his experiences in the game. The Sixers guard examples that will be very impact going forward: passing out of the pick-and-roll in numerous ways, such as in the pocket or overhead passes.

The Sixers already saw Maxey as a guy who needed a bigger role, which new head coach Nick Nurse is ready to provide for him. Maxey said that Harden helped teach him how to keep growing and thriving under changing situations — and he noted how ironic it was to have learned that from the player who has brought a storm of uncertainty over the franchise. Even as Harden drags down the franchise with his trade request and public comments, he left their young star with an example of how to be even better.

“I know [that] if he's not playing, he's gonna be rooting for me to be the best version of myself because that's just the type of brother he is. He's a great person and, you know, we love him for that,” Maxey said of Harden.