The Philadelphia 76ers made the biggest splash in free agency by signing former Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George for a four-year, $211 million deal. After landing the veteran forward, the team handed out a five-year, $205 million rookie max extension to guard Tyrese Maxey, creating a new ‘Big 3’ of the young star, George, and former MVP Joel Embiid. Maxey’s new deal reflects how invaluable he is to the franchise. However, did you know that they almost passed on him in the 2020 NBA draft?
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During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the guard’s agent, Rich Paul, revealed that the 76ers were unsure about picking him with the 20th overall pick. With players like R.J. Hampton, Immanuel Quickley, Payton Pritchard, and Desmond Bane still on the board, the team wasn’t convinced about Maxey. They eventually wound up drafting the former Kentucky star but planned on sending him to their G-League affiliate. Paul revealed,
“They wasn’t even going to draft him, first of all, then they were gonna send him down to the G League. Then they decided to play him a little bit. It was COVID. It was a game that guys sat out. He scored 40 points against Denver, I think. We talked after that game. I said ‘Tyrese, great game, but you won’t play the next 10 games’. He was so confused.”
In that game against the Denver Nuggets during Maxey’s rookie season, the 76ers were without seven players, including four starters, due to injuries and COVID-19. That prompted the team to hand the young guard his first career start, and he dominated.
He shot 18-0f-33 for 39 points with seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals in a 115-102 loss for the 76ers. His performance should’ve turned him into an instant star. However, that wasn’t the case.
Tyrese Maxey’s long road to relevance
Maxey’s stunning performance earned him five more starts. However, once Seth Curry recovered from COVID-19, the young guard was relegated to the bench. He had to wait 42 games for his next start and finished his rookie season with only eight. The following season, he started 74 games and finished sixth in the Most Improved Player Award voting.
However, his playtime diminished after the 76ers acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. He had to be content with playing off the ball due to the former MVP’s presence and started only 41 times in his third season in the league.
However, Harden’s departure to LA last year prompted the team to promote Maxey to the starting point guard role, and he thrived. He averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He also won the Most Improved Player Award for his stellar campaign.
The 76ers now view Maxey as one of the franchise’s cornerstones. They believe the guard can thrive alongside Embiid and George, facilitate them, and elevate their game. The guard had to prove his mettle time and again in his first four seasons. However, he’s now one of the reasons why the 76ers are considered a viable threat to win the NBA title.
