Philadelphia is trying to win now, but what about the future? Tyrese Maxey could be the sole heir as the next superstar for the 76ers.
Finding a star to help out your team can be hard in the NBA; even if you have a top pick in the lottery, it’s going to be hard to guarantee that these players can be impactful for your team. If you can’t find one in the lottery, your next best move is to make a trade for a player you know has the skills to be the top option. The Philadelphia 76ers struck gold when they drafted Joel Embiid.
This offseason, they added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in an effort to win now. This is for the present, but let’s look to the future. Who will be the team's best player three years from now? Bleacher Report has an idea, stating that they believe Tyrese Maxey will take that mantle. This is somewhat of an interesting choice, as Maxey will be almost 30 years old, and he will surely have a decline in his play by then. That’s also to say that Maxey will be re-signed to the team after his first contract is up.
But all of this is speculation, so let’s go with it for now. It’s still very interesting that they chose Maxey when a youthful VJ Edgecombe could be the better of the two. Now this is in no way a slight to Maxey, as he is absolutely a star, but three years from now that could change. Edgecombe could be where Maxey was last year, which would make him the better player.
If Maxey is to be the best player on that roster, then they must have gotten rid of Brown and Embiid. That would also mean that the potential lineup would include the young rookie Labaron Philon Jr as their primary point guard. With the youth movement clearly in effect at this point, it’s easy to see that Maxey will have gotten this by default. Maxey would be the best option for the team by that point, but as stated before, that offensive firepower may not be the same.
It’s going to be about his veteran leadership and how he can compliment the team. His knowledge of the game will be a huge asset, and the hope is that his shooting touch won’t be lost. Maxey will still be fairly young, so it's still a promising look for him to be the leader of the team.
If Maxey is the main guy, the 76ers will be in good hands, and Maxey will still be a real problem for anyone going against them.
