Sixers GM says Maxey is the ‘key to this offseason’ as players lock in on upcoming season

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Philadelphia 76ers stars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are fired up for the upcoming season as they look to bring an NBA championship to the 215.

The Sixers started the offseason with a bang, signing Paul George to a four-year, $212 million max contract after spending the past five years with the Los Angeles Clippers. The nine-time NBA All-Star is looking forward to teaming with former NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Maxey, a fellow All-Star.

Throughout his career, George has been selected to six All-NBA teams, a four-time All-Defensive Team player, and was named the Most Improved Player in 2013. During a press conference at the Sixers Practice Facility in Camden Tuesday, George said what brought him to Philly was the feeling the Sixers have a “real legitimate shot” at a championship.

“I’ve always been a fan of Tyrese and Joel from afar,” George said. “Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends, and so it kind of felt inevitable that at some point we would link up and be teammates. I’m all in. My family’s here all in and I’m excited. I’m looking forward to this next opportunity.”

George will be wearing number “8” next season as a tribute to Kobe Bryant, the late Lower Merion High School basketball star who went on to become a five-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer.

“Every day when I put that jersey on, I needed something to remind me to go out there and be the best player that I can be,” George said. “And the number eight just fit perfectly.”

Sixers Managing Partner Josh Harris said Tuesday was a great day for the city of Philadelphia, and thanked George for coming to the Sixers.

“It’s not very often that a franchise can land a player of Paul’s caliber,” Harris said. “Someone that is a future Hall of Famer and clearly with Joel, with Tyrese, with Nick [Nurse] as our coach, we are all in. We’re all in for the city.”

Maxey received not only his first All-Star Game selection last season, but was also named the most improved player. In his fourth season at the age of 23, he became the youngest Sixers to average at least 25 points and five assists throughout a full season.

When addressing reporters, Maxey said he’ll “keep working extremely hard” to bring a championship to the city.

“That’s what I’ve been working on all my life and getting better at… 1% better every single day,” Maxey said. “And now I feel like it’s a time that we could just work on that and really build on that.”

With Maxey and the 76ers reaching a deal on a five-year, $204 million contract extension this offseason, he’s looking forward to keep playing in his “second home.”

“I’m just very thankful that the Sixers and these guys up here took a chance on me, and I got an opportunity to play for this historic franchise and try to go out there and win,” Maxey said. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day and that’s why I work tirelessly.”

Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey called Maxey the “key to this offseason.”

“Without his patience, this wouldn’t have been possible,” Morey said. “Waiting on something he deserved a year ago in that extension, and we wanted to show how much we appreciated him just as a player as a cornerstone of this franchise … It just felt like the right thing to do.”

In May, Morey said the offseason would be “a big one.” Since then, the team has massively overhauled its roster, adding 16-year veteran Eric Gordon, two-time All-Star Andre Drummond and Caleb Martin.

Philly native and NBA Champion Kyle Lowry will be returning to the Sixers, as well as Kelly Oubre Jr. and KJ Martin. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that NBA Champion Reggie Jackson will also be joining the team. This summer, the Sixers picked Jared McCain from Duke University with the 16th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Philadelphia has also sent out some players, with Buddy Hield being dealt to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade, Paul Reed being waived this offseason and Tobias Harris signing with the Detroit Pistons after putting up zero points in the final game of his five-year, $180 million contract when the Sixers were defeated by the New York Knicks in the NBA Playoffs.

On the other side of the globe, Embiid is representing the United States men’s basketball team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2022. The decision raised injury concerns for many fans as the former MVP missed significant playing time last season with a meniscus injury and dealt with a mild case of Bell’s palsy during the playoffs.

The NBA has yet to announce its full schedule for the upcoming season. The Emirates NBA Cup will start on November 12 and the All-Star Weekend will take place February 14-16 in San Francisco.