Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey has long valued guard Tyrese Maxey as a key part of the team’s future. How much so? He’s refused to include the former first-round pick in trade offers for proven stars such as Kawhi Leonard in the past.
Maxey, 22, is also coming off a breakout 2022-23 season in which the former Kentucky star put up career-best numbers in points and three-point shooting.
That’s why this latest piece of information courtesy of ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne is so interesting. She reports that Philadelphia is not planning on extending Maxey this summer in order to create payroll flexibility.
Selected No. 21 overall back in 2020, Maxey is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he is not extended, the guard will hit the restricted NBA free agent market next summer. Getting into a bidding war for his services given the production we saw last season would not be ideal for the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Tyrese Maxey stats (2022-23): 20.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 48% shooting, 43% 3-point
Under the current NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Maxey is eligible for a rookie-level max contract worth upwards of $200 million this summer. Whether Philadelphia’s decision to put off extension talks is more about the uneasiness over handing out such a large figure remains to be seen. But it is noteworthy.
For Philadelphia, this new report comes at a time in which former NBA MVP James Harden opted into his contract for the 2023-24 season. The expectation is that the 76ers will work with Harden to find a new team via a trade as the summer progresses.
Once Harden departs, the 76ers will likely be put in a situation in which they’re relying on Maxey to be the No. 2 option behind reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid. Having this cloud hanging over their relationship with the youngster would be less-than-ideal, especially with Maxey set to earn a below-market salary of $4.34 million in 2023-24.