Philadelphia 76ers say Tyrese Maxey is untouchable
In the midst of offseason chaos, the Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Tyrese Maxey is completely untouchable in any trade negotiations.
The Sixers are telling teams that Tyrese Maxey is untouchable, per @WindhorstESPN
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 3, 2023
"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… pic.twitter.com/Y6KsbwmbOa
Untouchable for even prime Michael Jordan or Giannis Antetokounmpo is facetious but it tells you just how highly the franchise thinks of the 22-year-old guard.
Tyrese Maxey’s 2022 Campaign
Maxey is coming off a season where he averaged 20.3 points per game and 3.5 assists per game on a true shooting percentage of over 60 percent. He also shot 48 percent from the field and over 43 percent from behind the arc. For reference, just 14 players in NBA history have averaged 20 or more points at age 22 or younger on a true shooting percentage of 60 percent or higher.
That list includes
– Charles Barkley
– Bill Cartwright
– John Collins
– Adrian Dantley
– Kevin Durant
– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
– Tyrese Haliburton
– Dwight Howard
– Tyrese Maxey
– Dirk Nowitzki
– Shaquille O’Neal
– Amar’e Stoudemire
– Karl-Anthony Towns (2x)
– Zion Williamson (3x)
If you change the criteria to include six or more 3-pointers attempted per game, that list shrinks to just two players: Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey.
Why the 76ers are committed to Tyrese Maxey long-term
Along with putting up such historical statistical production at such a young age, Maxey was great analytically. Maxey ranked as an 83rd-percentile pick-and-roll ball-handler last season, averaging just over a point per possession. Minimum five possessions per game, Maxey was the 11th most efficient pick-and-roll scorer in the NBA.
He’s just a special on-ball scorer. He’s got great burst, change in pace, a deep ball-handling bag and is a remarkable off-the-dribble scorer. Last season he made over 45 percent of his step-back attempts, over 60 percent of his floaters, and just over 36 percent of his pull-up attempts. With the ball in his hands, he’s an ideal fit alongside Joel Embiid as a screener and one of the best scorers in the NBA.
He’s also one of the best off-ball scorers in the NBA, as Maxey ranked as an 86th-percentile spot-up scorer last season. With a minimum of four spot-up possessions a game, he was the 7th most efficient spot-up scorer in the NBA. He also shot his catch-and-shoot attempts at over a 45 percent clip last season. With a minimum of three catch-and-shoot attempts per game, he was the 7th most efficient catch-and-shooter in the NBA.
No, the 76ers and Daryl Morrey aren’t serious. They would trade Maxey for Prime Jordan in a heartbeat. They would also deal Maxey for Giannis in a heartbeat. But they know what they’ve got on their hands with Maxey. One of the best young scoring guards in all of basketball with a ton of room to grow.
With the imminent departure of James Harden looming, Maxey could take an even larger leap than expected by taking over primary ball-handling duties. He’s an absolute star in the making.
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