The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t made a better draft day pick since 2020 than selecting star Tyrese Maxey at No. 21 overall.
Maxey is emerging as one of the most promising young guards in the league, and he was named Most Improved Player last season. It seems Philadelphia didn’t always have such a positive outlook for the 23-year-old, as his agent, Rich Paul, recently revealed that the G League was once the model for him.
“Tyrese Maxey, first of all, they wanted to send him to the G League. They weren’t even going to draft him. Then they were going to send him to the G League and then they decided to play him a little bit,” Paul said on the Pat McAfee Show. “He’s a max-level player today, but he’s never been allowed to be the focus.”
“The 76ers weren’t even going to draft Tyrese Maxey and then they wanted to send him to the G League…
He scored 40 points against Denver in the bubble when some guys were out.
Today he is a top player and has never worried about himself” ~ @RichPaul4 #PMSLive image.twitter.com/JzK8axFjZL
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 16, 2024
Maxey didn’t show much potential in his rookie campaign, averaging 8 points and 2 assists on 46.2% shooting. However, he shined in his sophomore season, putting up 17.5 points and 4.3 assists. His rapid progress is no doubt thanks to his former teammate James Harden, as Maxey praises the now LA Clippers point guard every chance he gets.
Entering his fifth year in the NBA, Maxey shows no signs of slowing down.
