This past summer, many people felt the Philadelphia 76ers had become legitimate championship contenders after they signed Paul George, a nine-time All-Star forward.
However, what was supposed to be a very promising season quickly devolved into a frustrating one, mostly due to injuries that George and superstar center Joel Embiid have had to deal with.
While the Sixers came into Friday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets with a four-game winning streak and a shot to eventually reach the play-in tournament, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made a bold statement about the state of the team overall.
“They ain’t going anywhere,” Smith succinctly said.
“They ain’t going anywhere.”@stephenasmith on the 76ers as they seek to extend a four-game win streak 💪 pic.twitter.com/Vt31Q8vKHS
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 1, 2025
With George sidelined due to a finger injury and Embiid having trouble staying healthy, guard Tyrese Maxey is keeping the Sixers at least somewhat in one piece.
Coming into Friday, he was averaging 27.1 points and 6.0 assists a game, although he was arguably snubbed when the reserves for the Eastern Conference All-Star were announced this week.
Smith said that the Sixers should “market” Maxey, perhaps meaning they should look to trade him and rebuild sometime not too long from now.
There seem to be some people who feel Philly would be best served looking to trade Embiid perhaps as soon as this summer, given his inability to stay healthy, but it could also be argued that the team should build around Maxey moving forward.
While he may not be a true franchise player, he’s just 24 years of age and is an exciting and dynamic player who could possibly get even better over the next few years.
Philly currently has a 19-27 record and is in 11th place in the East, and they’re in a virtual tie with the 10th-place Chicago Bulls.
NEXT: Tyrese Maxey Reveals His Honest Thoughts About LeBron James
