From Tyrese Maxey to Jaden Springer, a look at the Sixers’ player development entering the NBA draft and summer league

The 76ers will spend the next few weeks reshaping their roster, with Thursday’s NBA draft and the start of free agency on June 30 presenting prime opportunities for player movement.

But with NBA Summer League immediately following those significant offseason checkpoints, it’s also an appropriate time to check in on the development of the Sixers’ young players.

That group includes breakout guard Tyrese Maxey and big man Paul Reed, who moved into the Sixers’ rotation for the playoffs. Jaden Springer, last year’s first-round pick, meanwhile, spent the majority of the season playing with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats.

Here is a breakdown of each Sixer with three seasons or fewer of NBA experience:

Maxey’s rapid ascension in his second season was one of the Sixers’ most important developments in 2021-22.

He boasts the speed to get to the basket off the dribble and in transition. He shot a blistering 42.7% on three-pointers, both in catch-and-shoot opportunities and on pull-ups. And he fit in off the ball when James Harden arrived. He has All-Star potential after averaging 17.5 points and 4.3 assists per game, and could be an important bridge as Harden ages and Joel Embiid moves through his prime.

Maxey quickly established a bond with assistant Sam Cassell and skill development coach Spencer Rivers, who have capitalized on Maxey’s relentless work ethic. Entering the offseason, Maxey said he wanted to continue sharpening his handle, which will help him facilitate and create his own shots off the dribble. He added he would be driven by the motto “NGE,” aka “Not Good Enough.”

“By this time next year, I don’t want to be able to say, ‘NGE,’ that I wasn’t good enough,” Maxey said after the Sixers’ loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “I want to be able to help my team as much as possible and try to get us over this hump.”

Thybulle remained an incredibly disruptive perimeter defender, compiling a career-high 115 steals and 71 blocks in 2021-22 while typically starting games guarding the opposing team’s top scorer. He was an NBA All-Defensive second-team selection for the second consecutive season.

But he remains a liability on offense, save for a brief period following the Harden trade when he used cutting and rolling to get free at the rim. He shot 31.3% from three-point distance, and defenses left him jarringly open during the playoffs. Thybulle also acknowledged he fell out of rhythm when he could not play in road games of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series against Toronto, a self-inflicted predicament after he chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and became ineligible to travel to Canada.

» READ MORE: From Tobias Harris to Matisse Thybulle, 3 trades that could make sense for the Sixers

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was unwilling to include Thybulle in the Harden trade, saying he believed the rangy wing could be a future Defensive Player of the Year. Morey then acknowledged after the season that the playoffs are “challenging” for “extreme, sort of one-way-type players” such as Thybulle, but expressed confidence Thybulle’s offensive game could improve.

“His mission, which he knows, is how can he improve in ways that make him someone that can make more of an impact in the playoffs?” Morey said. “And I think he will in the future.”

It makes sense for the Sixers to again explore potential trade suitors for Thybulle, though moving him would take needed athleticism and perimeter defense off the roster. Thybulle is also eligible for a contract extension this summer.

Those clamoring for consistent “Bball Paul” minutes finally got their wish during the playoffs, when he was the backup center behind Embiid and, briefly, DeAndre Jordan. Reed averaged 3.7 points on 52.8% shooting and 3.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game, and foul trouble that had plagued him throughout his early career dissipated some as the postseason progressed.

That opportunity was the product of another season of Reed learning and, ultimately, gaining coach Doc Rivers’ trust. With the Delaware Blue Coats, coach Coby Karl said Reed worked on “creating action” with deliberate screens, rolls and dribble-handoffs. More broadly, Reed became better at being in the right place at the right time and consistent with his movements, so teammates knew what to expect from him on the court.

“His decision-making was much quicker,” Karl told The Inquirer earlier this week. “There was no hesitation. He kind of knew what he was and he knew what his role was. When you see that with a player, you see there’s a freedom to it and a confidence and he knew exactly what he was supposed to do. …

“His issue was getting to the next action and finding his next teammate, and letting someone else create a play instead of creating his own.”

Reed’s playoff experience showed him how intense and physical those games become. This offseason, Reed said his goal was to add strength and athleticism to his long 6-foot-9, 210-pound frame so he can block more shots and take even greater advantage of his rebounding instincts.

“If you see me next year jumping out the gym, you know why,” Reed said.

During his second NBA season, Joe said he wanted to prove he could compete on the defensive end despite being undersized at 6-foot-4 and 165 pounds. Yet, outside shooting is currently his most valuable asset, and his 33.3% accuracy from long range was not good enough to consistently crack the rotation.

Joe, a second-round pick in 2020, said he would work on gaining strength this summer. Skill-wise, he also aimed to improve at putting the ball on the floor and creating, an aspect he said he “really lacked this year.”

» READ MORE: Four years later, the Sixers’ draft-day trade of Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith looks worse than ever

The 19-year-old Springer was one the youngest players on an NBA roster last season. He spent the bulk of his time with the Blue Coats, which provided him the most opportunity to log regular game minutes and settle into professional basketball.

Springer already boasts immense potential as an on-ball defender. His lateral quickness reminds Karl of Avery Bradley. Springer’s physicality, meanwhile, has shades of Jimmy Butler, the coach said.

“He just has an instinct to defend,” Karl said. ”You don’t have to ask him to do it, and his body’s made for it. … The way he hawks the ball in the scoring area, he’s a blanket.”

Offensively, Springer spent the season adapting to the speed of the professional game and identifying the proper spots to get his shot. Karl also said Springer needed to learn how to manage his workload at this level.

“He loves being in the gym, and I think sometimes he overexerts himself,” Karl said. “… [He’s working on] just taking care of [his] body so, when game day comes, when our practice comes, he’s healthy and has energy to focus on the task at hand.”

Bassey, last year’s second-round draft pick, flashed upside in limited action with the Sixers, but he spent most of the season with the Blue Coats. His NBA highlight: totaling 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds in a November game against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic while Embiid was out with COVID-19.

Some view Bassey as a more traditional center. Karl does not. Though Bassey’s rim protection propelled him to G League All-Defensive honors, Karl said Bassey “doesn’t do it in an old-school, big-guy way.”

“He’s very quick-twitch,” Karl said. “He can block the first jump, the second jump, and the third.”

» READ MORE: The Sixers’ draft night will set stage for a fascinating NBA offseason

Bassey’s offensive game remains a work in progress. But he has developing skills, including to shoot the three-pointer and put the ball on the floor.

Brown, a Philly native and St. Joseph’s product, was the Sixers’ pleasant surprise of the omicron surge, when his 10-day contract was converted to a two-way deal. And during his time with the Blue Coats, Karl said Brown was “a highlight” because he was “usually the most energetic player on the court.”

» READ MORE: Jaden Hardy thinks he would be a ‘great’ fit for the Sixers and their No. 23 draft pick

Rivers immediately called Brown an NBA-caliber wing defender, who was tasked with corralling San Antonio All-Star Dejounte Murray and the Miami Heat’s dangerous perimeter players during his stint in the rotation. Karl wondered aloud if Brown could be used in a short-burst role with the Sixers in the future, similar to how the Golden State Warriors deployed defensive specialist Gary Payton II last season.

“There’s only so many guys in the world that can give those All-Star-level players problems, and I saw Charlie was capable of doing that,” Karl said. " ... I’m hopeful for Charlie to be able to earn some opportunities to play with the big club, because I think he has a unique defensive skillset [with] just agility, body type, lateral quickness, speed, length, athleticism, and physicality.”

Offensively, Brown made only nine of his 34 shot attempts in 19 games with the Sixers, but Karl said Brown played well off the ball in the G League, though he needs to prove he can do it at the NBA level.

Like Brown, Powell was called into emergency duty during the omicron surge and remained on a two-way contract through the end of the season.

Karl called Powell, a Trenton native and Seton Hall product, “one of the most unique players I’ve ever coached.” He is a legitimate bucket-getter at the G League level, helping the Blue Coats advance to the G League finals. But it remains unclear if that helps him carve out an NBA path.

“What he can do on the court, you can’t tell in a workout. You can see it a little bit in practice,” Karl said. “He’s just not that tall. He doesn’t always look the quickest. But, man, he can just score.

“He shows up and he wants to compete. He wants to prove himself. He’s not scared of any moment.”