The Philadelphia 76ers made no greater draft day choice since 2020 than selecting star Tyrese Maxey at No. 21.
Maxey is evolving into one of the league's most exciting young guards, earning the Most Improved Player award last season. It seems Philadelphia did not always have such a bright outlook on the 23-year-old, as his agent, Rich Paul, recently revealed the G League was once the blueprint for him.
"Tyrese Maxey, first of all, they wanted to send him down to the G League. They weren't even going to draft him. Then they were going to send him down to the G League, and then they decided to play him a little bit," Paul said on the Pat McAfee Show. "Now today he's a max player, but he's never allowed himself to make it about him."
"The 76ers weren't even gonna draft Tyrese Maxey and then they wanted to send him to the G League..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 16, 2024
He scored 40 points against Denver in the bubble when some guys were out..
Today he's a max player and he's never made it about himself" ~ @RichPaul4 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/JzK8axFjZL
Maxey did not showcase much potential in his rookie campaign, averaging 8 points and 2 assists on 46.2% shooting. However, he blossomed in his sophomore season, jumping to 17.5 points and 4.3 assists. Former teammate James Harden is certainly one to thank for his speedy progression, as Maxey praises the now LA Clippers guard in every opportunity possible.
Entering his fifth year in the NBA, Maxey is showing no signs of going stagnant.
