Tyrese Maxey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Embiid, Lillard, Morey

December 10th, 2021 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a bright spot for the Sixers in the Ben Simmons standoff, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With Simmons not playing and Shake Milton sidelined by a sprained ankle, Maxey became the team’s opening night point guard. He has remained in the starting lineup and is averaging 16.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in his second NBA season.

“Tyrese’s energy is so contagious,” Matisse Thybulle said. “… He’s got one of the hardest jobs on the court being a point guard trying to quarterback the whole gym, and (coach Doc Rivers) doesn’t take it easy on him, and he’s able to take this challenge and show up day in and day out with one of the best attitudes on the team.”

The Sixers landed Maxey with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft, even though they had him ranked in the top 12. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who had just arrived from Houston, credits the scouting department and general manager Elton Brand for identifying Maxey as a top prospect.

“We believed in Tyrese so much,” Morey said. “We weren’t looking for ‘solid’. … We felt like our first-round pick, we wanted to shoot for someone who could be a higher-end player in the league. We were surprised he was there, and really thrilled he was there.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Joel Embiid had to briefly leave Thursday’s game in the second half to get checked for abdominal pain, but he doesn’t believe it’s a big deal, according to Justin Grasso of SI.com. “In the first quarter, I thought it was a cramp,” Embiid said. “As the game went on, I started not breathing right. So I needed to check it out. I honestly don’t know (what it was), but it was pretty painful. I’m not sure what happened. I don’t know (if it’ll affect me moving forward). I’ll be fine.”
There’s a chance to trade for CJ McCollum right now if the Sixers decide to send Ben Simmons to the Trail Blazers, but Damian Lillard probably won’t be available until at least the offseason, Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice states in a mailbag column. However, the collapsed lung that McCollum suffered this week could delay trade talks.
Morey’s trade history suggests that Sixers fans shouldn’t get attached to anyone other than Embiid, Neubeck adds. Morey overhauled the Rockets several times during his years in Houston and will continue seek the best possible return for Simmons at any position other than center.

Eastern Notes: Schroder, Maxey, Joe, Bertans

November 13th, 2021 at 12:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder signed a one-year contract for the taxpayer mid-level exception in the hopes of building his value. So far, so good. Schröder erupted for 38 points on Friday in the Celtics’ victory over Milwaukee and elicited MVP chants from the home fans, Jared Weiss of The Athletic writes. Schröder is averaging 20.8 PPG and 5.8 APG as a starter.

“He’s finding his way,” Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said. “He’s brought his bench role to the starting lineup. He’s been very aggressive.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

While Ben Simmons continues to sit out, Sixers second-year guard Tyrese Maxey has become one of the most popular athletes in Philadelphia. Fans were chanting “MVP!” during Thursday’s home game, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Maxey has piled up 64 points and nine assists while committing just two turnovers over the last two games. “I appreciate the Philly fans, of course,” Maxey said. “They’re always behind us.”
Isaiah Joe has cleared protocols and will join the Sixers in Indiana for Saturday’s game, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. He is expected to go through a workout pregame and is questionable to play, Pompey adds. Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle remain under those health and safety protocols.
Wizards forward Davis Bertans is a week away from returning to action, coach Wes Unseld Jr. told Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link) and other media members on Friday. Bertans has done more shooting drills in recent days. He has been out since November 1 with a sprained left ankle.

Sixers Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Niang

November 8th, 2021 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After initially resisting, Ben Simmons has now met with a team-recommended specialist to discuss mental health concerns, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links). The Sixers had recently reinstituted fines for Simmons’ reluctance to meet with team doctors, among other issues. Simmons plans to continue working out at the practice facility and meeting with his NBPA-provided mental health specialist. He has yet to make his debut and there’s no timetable for his return.

We have more on the Sixers:

Joel Embiid is experiencing symptoms in his bout with COVID-19, Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice tweets. “He’s not doing great, he’s struggling with it, very similar to Tobias (Harris),” coach Doc Rivers said. Reports surfaced on Monday morning that the star center had been placed under the league’s health and safety protocols.
Embiid has been pleasantly surprised by reserve big man Georges Niang, Lauren Rosen tweets. The former Utah forward, signed as a free agent this summer, is averaging a career-best 11.9 PPG in 22.7 MPG. “I used to think he sucked, honestly,” Embiid said. “Obviously, on this team he’s doing way more than (shooting 3s). What I’m impressed with is he’s a competitor. He brings so much joy to all of us, on and off the court. I’m just glad I have him.”
The franchise has gained more leverage in the Simmons situation, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The team’s hot start shows Simmons that they can win without him, which could force the disgruntled guard’s hand. Tyrese Maxey and Niang have more than filled Simmons’ void and he’s now faced with the prospect of sitting out for months.

Sixers Pick Up 2022/23 Options On Thybulle, Maxey

October 29th, 2021 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have picked up their 2022/23 team options on forward Matisse Thybulle and guard Tyrese Maxey, the team announced today in a press release.

Thybulle, 24, hasn’t done much offensively since entering the league as the No. 20 overall pick in 2019, averaging just 4.3 PPG across 135 games. However, he’s a key contributor on the other side of the ball, having been named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2020/21. His fourth-year option for ’22/23 will pay him $4,379,527.

Maxey, the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft, has been forced into starting point guard duty in his second NBA season due to Ben Simmons‘ absence. He’s still finding his footing, but has put up respectable averages of 14.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.6 APG in five games (33.0 MPG). His third-year option for ’22/23 is worth $2,726,880.

Thybulle will be extension-eligible during the 2022 offseason, while the 76ers will still have to make one more team-option decision on Maxey for the 2023/24 season.

All of this year’s ’22/23 rookie scale option decisions, which are due on Monday, can be found right here.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Morey, Maxey

October 27th, 2021 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been slowed by pain in his right knee and wasn’t able to walk for two days after hurting it in the season opener last Wednesday, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Shelburne made the comments during an appearance on NBA Today (video link), adding that Embiid is determined to continue playing because Ben Simmons isn’t available.

Embiid has appeared in all four of Philadelphia’s games, although he’s averaging career lows so far with 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per night. Simmons told the team last week that he’s not mentally ready to play, and it’s uncertain when he might return.

Embiid is also trying to lead by example and is motivated by his second-place finish in last season’s MVP race, Shelburne adds. He appeared in just 51 games in 2020/21, which was one of the arguments some voters made for not supporting him.

Embiid suffered a small meniscus tear in his right knee during the first round of the playoffs, but was able to continue playing until the Sixers were eliminated. The pain flared up after he banged knees with Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas last week, and Shelburne said there’s a feeling that “maybe he should sit a game or two” to help relieve it.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said this week that “things seem to be moving very much in a positive direction” with Simmons (video link). He added that the team is working with Simmons to provide “every resource to help him with what is needed.”
Until the Simmons situation is resolved, it will loom as a threat to team chemistry, contends Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons still prefers to be traded, and the rotation is likely to undergo a shakeup whenever that happens. There are also players on the roster who could be headed elsewhere in a Simmons deal. “There’s obviously uncertainty,” Tobias Harris said. “Personally myself, I look at all of the uncertainty as a positive of what could happen. And in reality, the biggest thing is to just stay in the moment.”
Tyrese Maxey is experiencing “growing pains” as he tries to handle the lead guard role in Simmons’ absence, Pompey adds. Maxey is a combo guard who isn’t used to running the offense, and he didn’t have an assist until the fourth quarter in Tuesday night’s loss to the Knicks.

Atlantic Notes: Nash, Irving, Sixers, Raptors

October 10th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Kyrie Irving is back with the Nets, but he won’t be traveling with the team for tomorrow’s preseason game at Philadelphia, and coach Steve Nash seems resigned to the fact that Irving is going to start missing home games unless he gets vaccinated, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“I think we recognize he’s not playing home games,” said Nash. “We’re going to have to for sure play without him this year; so it just depends on when, where and how much.”

However, Nash also noted that things can change quickly in this unprecedented situation, per Lewis.

“Right now we assume he’s not going to be available for home games,” Nash said. “Anything can change. Who’s to say, the city’s ordinance could change? Anything could change.”

“Right now we’re just trying to remain flexible, open-minded and figure it out as we go, because information is coming in by the half-day here, whether it’s Paul [Millsap’s health and safety protocol] situation, Kyrie’s situation or the laws. We found out Friday he could come in the building, so things are shifting. No one’s been through this before, and we’re just trying to figure it out as we go.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton of the Sixers appear locked in a battle over the starting point guard spot with Ben Simmons still away from the team, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. The players have taken turns starting the team’s first two preseason games, with mixed results for both. However, Bodner thinks Maxey has much higher upside and should be given the opportunity to start, given Milton’s physical limitations.
In the same article, Bodner notes that second-year guard Isaiah Joe has been outstanding thus far in the preseason and is making a strong case for a spot in the Sixers‘ rotation. Joe is averaging 16.5 PPG while shooting 7-12 (58.3%) from three, and he’s also shown growth as a shot-creator and defender. Coach Doc Rivers has taken notice, per Bodner. “He’s starting to put the ball on the floor. That’s something he couldn’t do (last year),” Rivers said. “He made plays tonight getting into the paint there’s no way he could have done that last year. Good for him because he’s putting all the work in.”
The Raptors have been impressed with free agent acquisition Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk thus far, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Khem Birch is out of health and safety protocols and could be available for the Raptors tomorrow against Houston, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.

Latest On Ben Simmons

September 29th, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

The primary motivation for Ben Simmons‘ trade demand and holdout is to steer him to a team that would build around him on offense, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor’s story comes on the heels of a Tuesday report which suggested that Simmons no longer wants to play with Joel Embiid, whose style of play isn’t considered conducive to the way Simmons wants to play on offense.

However, according to O’Connor’s sources, Simmons didn’t make it clear during his August meeting with the Sixers‘ brass that his offensive role was a major problem. During that meeting, O’Connor says, head coach Doc Rivers outlined a plan to stagger Simmons’ and Emibiid’s minutes more often, frequently using Simmons more like the Bucks use Giannis Antetokounmpo, with four shooters around him. It sounds as if the three-time All-Star wasn’t enthused by the team’s pitch.

League sources tell The Ringer that the Rockets planned on building their system around Simmons if they had taken the Sixers’ trade offer for James Harden last season, but obviously that didn’t come to fruition. It’s unclear whether any of Simmons’ current suitors are prepared to provide him with the offensive environment he’s looking for — O’Connor suggests that the Kings might be the best candidate to do so.

Here’s more on the Simmons situation:

O’Connor acknowledges that things can change quickly, but said that as of Tuesday, league sources didn’t get the sense that the Sixers were close to trading Simmons. As O’Connor notes, with Philadelphia not especially interested in packages heavy on draft picks and prospects and so many veterans ineligible to be dealt until at least December 15, it could still be a while before the 76ers start getting offers they deem acceptable.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link) has heard that the Sixers are targeting potential trade partners in the Western Conference.
With Simmons unavailable, Tyrese Maxey has taken the reins as the lead point guard, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Rivers and the 76ers are prepared to try out some unconventional ball-handling options beyond Maxey. According to Mizell, Rivers said that Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang were “very effective” at bringing up the ball with the reserves on Tuesday.

Tyrese Maxey Denies That Reps Want Him Out Of Philadelphia

September 27th, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after word first surfaced in August that Ben Simmons intended to hold out this fall in an effort to force the Sixers to trade him, one report indicated that fellow guard Tyrese Maxey might be included in any Simmons trade. The thinking, according to that report, was that agent Rich Paul – who represents both Simmons and Maxey – preferred to have both his clients out of Philadelphia.

However, asked at Media Day on Monday about that rumor, Maxey denied it, telling the media that he and Paul were “sitting there laughing at it.” Maxey added that he has no desire to leave Philadelphia (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

“I don’t know where that came from,” he said (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic). “… I love being here and I love the city. I can’t wait to get started.”

As we noted when we relayed that August report on Maxey, the idea that Paul had the desire and the leverage to get the 20-year-old included in a Simmons deal always seemed a little far-fetched. Maxey is entering just the second season of his four-year rookie contract and showed plenty of promise as a rookie, reducing the likelihood that the 76ers would be strong-armed into moving him.

If Simmons continues to hold out and the Sixers don’t find a trade in the short-term future, Maxey figures to take on a significantly increased role to start the 2021/22 season. Head coach Doc Rivers strongly hinted earlier today that Maxey would become Philadelphia’s starting point guard as long as Simmons remains AWOL.

Daryl Morey, Joel Embiid Discuss Ben Simmons’ Holdout

September 27th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Ben Simmons wasn’t present at the Sixers‘ Media Day on Monday, and his absence was the subject of plenty of discussion during the press conferences with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, head coach Doc Rivers, and star center Joel Embiid, among others.

As Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com tweets, Morey confirmed that Simmons and his camp asked the team for a trade as far back as the draft combine in Chicago this spring. However, Philadelphia’s head of basketball operations insisted that the club didn’t want to make a trade then or now, suggesting that there’s still “a lot of hope” for reconciliation (Twitter link via Chris Mannix of SI.com).

Morey pointed to this year’s standoff between the NFL’s Green Bay Pacers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who is still with the team – as an example of how a relationship that seemed destined for an end can still be mended (Twitter link via Michael Lee of The Washington Post). According to Morey, he hasn’t talked to Simmons himself in about six or seven weeks, but remains in frequent communication with the 25-year-old’s representatives (Twitter link via Neubeck).

Asked about next steps if Simmons remains away from the team, Morey hinted that fines will be coming, telling reporters that it’s “very clearly spelled out” in both Simmons’ contract and the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement what will happen (Twitter link via Neubeck). For what it’s worth, sources have told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Simmons isn’t concerned about the potential fines and that money is playing “no role” in his decision-making.

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Asked today about Simmons, Embiid replied, “Of course we want him back, he’s a big piece of what we’ve been building the past few years” (Twitter link via Neuebeck). The star center added that he’s “disappointed” with how the situation has played out. “I really hope he changes his mind,” Embiid said. “… I do love playing with him because he adds so much to our team. We’ve been building this team around us. I don’t see it as ‘This is my team’. I don’t care about any of that” (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Athletic).
Embiid said today that dealing with trade rumors is something all players have to learn to deal with (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). “If the Warriors called and offered Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) for me, do you think the Sixers would say no to that?” Embiid asked. “… I wouldn’t say no to that.”
Embiid confirmed that he and some teammates tried to travel to California to meet with Simmons. As The Athletic reported over the weekend, Simmons turned down that meeting. “I guess we got to let him be himself,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Neubeck).
As Darryn Albert of Larry Brown Sports relays, Danny Green – in the most recent episode of his podcast – also discussed that attempted sit-down with Simmons. “This has nothing to do with the organization,” Green said. “This has to do with us. We just want to meet with him on a personal level, on a human being, friend level. If he still considers us friends, we don’t know if that’s the case yet or not.”
Rivers declined to state his plans for the point guard position if Simmons doesn’t return, but strongly implied that Tyrese Maxey would be in line for the role, tweets Bontemps.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Simmons, Horford

September 20th, 2021 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Having already received clearance to play their home games in Toronto in 2021/22 after spending last season in Tampa, the Raptors are now waiting to see whether the Ontario provincial goverment will allow them to play in front of full-capacity crowds at Scotiabank Arena, writes Kevin McGran of The Toronto Star.

Both the Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs – who share Scotiabank Arena – intend to only allow fully vaccinated individuals to attend games. They’re expecting to get an answer from government officials this week, per McGran.

“With a fully vaccinated venue, it is our belief that we can safely host a full capacity event,” MLSE spokesperson Dave Haggith said. “With tickets on sale, we are planning for eventual full capacity in 2021 and our ticketing rollout has built-in flexibility so we are ready for potential scenarios.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

With the Ben Simmons situation still unresolved, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic examines what the Sixers‘ rotation might look like in 2021/22 both with Simmons and without him. Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz would receive the biggest minutes boosts if Simmons holds out and hasn’t yet been traded.
Jared Dubin of FiveThirtyEight considers what past trades of All-Stars can tell us about the Simmons situation. As Dubin outlines, pieces-and-picks packages are typically the most common returns for All-Star players, while the Sixers are seeking a star-for-star deal, increasing the degree of difficulty.
Al Horford‘s return to the Celtics means the team will be able to comfortably run out lineups featuring two big men again. Jared Weiss of The Athletic explains why that’s a good thing for Boston.