Despite James Harden Imminent Exit, Why Did the Sixers Not Extend Next Option Tyrese Maxey?

The Philadelphia 76ers are having a tough offseason, as the front office has to navigate multiple season-altering decisions. With the new NBA season around the corner, their star player and last season’s assist leader James Harden has decided to go AWOL. Franchise cornerstone and last season’s MVP Joel Embiid has been the subject of multiple trade rumors.

And to top it all off, reports suggest that the Sixers won’t offer a contract extension to Tyrese Maxey this season. The Philadelphia Sixers’ decision not to offer Maxey a contract extension may seem daft, but there is a valid rationale behind it.

Why Didn’t the 76ers Extend Maxey’s contract?

The Sixers find themselves in a tough predicament. With the season opener against the Bucks fast approaching, the future of James Harden remains unresolved. Last season’s MVP Joel Embiid has also been subjected to multiple trade rumors. It looks like the Sixers’ title hopes are crumbling in front of our eyes, but Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a promising beacon of hope for the team’s future, offering optimism to Sixers’ fans. Maxey averaged 20.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game last season. However, reports suggest that the Sixers have decided not to extend Maxey’s rookie contract, which will expire next summer.

Although this might appear to be another significant setback for Sixers’ fanbase, there’s more to the story. The front office has decided not to extend Maxey’s contract because of future financial flexibility. The decision not to offer Maxey an extension at this moment allows the Sixers to maintain cap space for next summer. During this they might have the opportunity to create two open max-salary slots. The Sixers maintain control over Maxey’s future, as he will become a restricted free agent. This means that even if they don’t extend his contract this season, the Sixers have the ability to match any offers made for Maxey by other teams.

Negative Implications of the Move

But having said that, this move by the Sixers isn’t without any negative implications. Delaying a contract extension might lead to upsetting, alienating, or even souring relationships with the player in question.

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Players always perform the best when they have a financial safety net, which comes with a contract extension. In the NBA, injuries are an inherent risk, and a player can face a career-threatening injury at any given moment. This could potentially result in the loss of millions of dollars. Maxey’s play on the court has deserved an extension, but could this move lead to a significant downturn in Maxey’s performances?

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