The NBA witnessed a big trade on Sunday as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic engaged in a deal that involved several notable names, including the young sharpshooter, Desmond Bane.
As Bane commanded a haul for the Grizzlies, fan bases of several teams got to thinking about what their young co-stars could land in a deal, and select Philadelphia 76ers fans participated in the social media exercise by tossing out the idea that the Sixers should at least consider moving on from Tyrese Maxey.
“Based on what the Magic gave up for Desmond Bane it wouldn’t be crazy for the Sixers to see if they can capitalize on Tyrese Maxey’s value right now,” 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks wrote on X.
“Would be a great way to jumpstart the rebuild.”
Based on what the Magic gave up for Desmond Bane it wouldn’t be crazy for the Sixers to see if they can capitalize on Tyrese Maxey’s value right now
Would be a great way to jumpstart the rebuild
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 15, 2025
For the most part, the take wasn’t popular. While Maxey’s 2024-2025 campaign divided the fan base slightly, he remains a fan favorite in Philadelphia, being a hard-working homegrown All-Star, who recently signed a long-term deal with the franchise.
Still, there are skeptics. Since Maxey signed a max deal last summer, many believe that the former first-round pick out of Kentucky might not have the 1A star gene.
via @J0ELEMBILD: Maxey and McCain won’t be able to coexist due to their size. Maxey is nothing special and can get you a haul if you trade him right now. Joel’s knees are completely cooked so their title window is over. Why is this so hard for sixer fans to comprehend
@Provess___That: So now we know any Maxey trade talks would START at 4/5 first rounders.
The Sixers’ front office has remained sold on Maxey as a face of the franchise. The 2024-2025 NBA season was a down year for the Sixers across the board. Joel Embiid struggled to come close to his MVP self. Paul George wasn’t anywhere near his All-Star level.
Maxey’s season was viewed as a down year as his shooting efficiency took a dip to 43 percent from the field and 34 percent from three, but he did average a career-high 26 points while tying his career-high six assists per game. Playing shorthanded often, and appearing in just 52 games due to multiple setbacks, prevented Maxey from reaching a desired level after inking a big deal.
@Will_Rucker3_AD: The “trade Maxey” people are insane btw
@B_Shmoney: Trade maxey. To build around a guard that played 20 games to restart the process with two dead contracts. Sounds good on 2K but all that will happen is the city will checkout from basketball for 5 years.
@PhilaRoll21: You do not trade Maxey if you’re trying to rebuild the Sixers. Before saying “Maxey & McCain don’t fit together”, they played 17 games together and were 6-11. In game McCain played more than 4 mins, Sixers were 6-8 (McCain left last game hurt)
Trading Maxey to kickstart a rebuild for the Sixers would feel premature and sort of counterproductive. His value might be high, considering he’s just 24 with an All-Star appearance under his belt, but Joel Embiid and Paul George are way off from a rebuilding timeline.
It might make more sense to move off of their deals, and continue building around Maxey, who has been praised as an important leader in Philly’s locker room this past season.
For the time being, the Sixers seem confident that if they get to see a healthy version of their current core, they’ll have an opportunity to compete with the best of them. Soon, we’ll see if that’s the case.
