Tyrese Maxey exceeded Daryl Morey’s expectations, solidifying the plan to build around two Sixers stars

Confidence in Tyrese Maxey was already permeating throughout the 76ers organization at the start of the 2023-24 season.

That stemmed from the significant strides the dynamic guard had already made since being drafted 21st overall in 2020, combined with the diligent behind-the-scenes work habits those inside the building witnessed daily. And that was a reason the front office believed it could wait for the right deal for disgruntled star guard James Harden to crystalize, then make the move when it did.

Still, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey acknowledged earlier this week that Maxey’s performance this season even exceeded the executive’s already lofty expectations. Maxey averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists during the regular season, becoming a first-time All-Star, the winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and one of the standouts of the playoffs’ first round.

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That’s why, when talking about how the Sixers plan to attack a critical offseason, Morey affirmed the goal is to acquire players who complement 2023 MVP Joel Embiid and Maxey.

“We put pretty good odds [on] … that Tyrese could be the second-best player on a championship team,” Morey said Monday during his end-of-season news conference. “I think we absolutely believe that now. That belief went from high to, I think, we’re certain at this point that he can do that.

“Still a long way to go, but the fact that that’s the case, that means the job becomes … How do you find the rest of the roster to fit that?”

The biggest offseason no-brainer for Morey is signing Maxey to a max contract extension, a deal the lead guard waited an additional year to ink in order for his team to preserve his smaller “cap hold.” Beyond that, Morey said his top priority is adding a wing player who can “deliver at a high level in the playoffs,” a description that could be applied to potential free agents Paul George and LeBron James, or potential trade targets Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant.

But Maxey’s continued ascension is paramount to the Sixers maintaining their win-now (and veteran star-hunting) approach, especially after the Harden saga from last summer and fall. Maxey this season quickly established himself as a threat to drop 50 points on any given night, thanks to his ability to explode to the basket with the ball in his hands and launch deep, step-back three-pointers. He and Embiid also created a dangerous two-man combination, which could punish defenses with dribble handoffs, in the pick-and-roll, and in other actions.

Morey, though, was perhaps most impressed with how Maxey handled himself while Embiid was sidelined for eight weeks following knee surgery. Maxey became the primary focus of opponents’ scouting reports, leading to a variety of defensive coverages, such as blitzes and traps, that he had never experienced in the NBA. Though the Sixers offense ranked in the NBA’s bottom third in efficiency in February and March, Morey observed Maxey “just getting used to how people are going to guard him.”

“He really took that step forward,” Morey said.

Maxey capped the season with two eye-popping playoff performances against the New York Knicks. After totaling 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds while playing through illness in a crushing Game 2 loss, Maxey put up a 46-point outburst — including seven points in the final 26 seconds of regulation to force overtime — and nine assists in a season-extending Game 5 victory.

He followed that, though, with his worst outing of the series, scoring 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting in the Sixers’ Game 6 defeat to end the season. That prompted coach Nick Nurse, who reiterated throughout the season that Maxey still had far more ceiling to crack, to remind that, “If you’re going to be an ‘A’ player, you’ve got to do it most nights.”

“And doing it most nights,” Nurse added, “means that’s a seven-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day job taking care of yourself, developing your skills, watching the film. He’s awesome that way. Just needs a little bit of experience and time. I think he’ll just come back better and better.”

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There is reason for more organizational optimism, given that Maxey’s 2023-24 season exceeded even Morey’s expectations. And that affirmed how the lead executive plans to move through the offseason while attempting to build around Embiid and Maxey.

“The step he took this year is extremely hard,” Morey said of Maxey, " and, for sure, not a given that he would have done it. But I guess we should all learn not to bet against Tyrese, given he has beat expectations every single season, both prior to coming here and then here.”