Tyrese Maxey has taken over as the Philadelphia 76ers‘ new best player. Although the 76ers still have Joel Embiid and Paul George, the focus has shifted over to Maxey. In the 2025-26 NBA season, both Embiid and George have played fewer than 10 games. The star guard, on the other hand, has been available throughout, appearing in 19 games.
Maxey has led the team to an 11-9 record. While it isn’t impressive, it’s worth noting that he’s doing most of the heavy lifting by himself. He’s averaging 32.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists. The way he’s played has kept Philly competitive.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that the organization now views Maxey as the franchise star. The injuries that Embiid and George have sustained have prevented them from suiting up. The younger star player, meanwhile, is still entering his prime and isn’t prone to injuries.
“I think the feeling is that this is Tyrese Maxey’s team, and over the summer it started to turn that page because people just frankly didn’t know when Paul George and Joel Embiid would be able to play … and so the Sixers had to pivot—and it turns out Tyrese Maxey is really good and he is the franchise now,” Shelburne said.
On Tuesday, Tyrese Maxey proved once again that he’s an important piece to the 76ers’ success. He led the team to a 121-102 win over the Washington Wizards. The one-time All-Star finished with 35 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Maxey was the only 76er to score at least 20 points. It was an impressive follow-up to his 44-point outing against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Lou Williams predicts “better times” for the 76ers with Tyrese Maxey
The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled over the past few seasons because of Joel Embiid’s injuries. But former NBA star Lou Williams believes that there will be better days for the franchise, especially with Tyrese Maxey leading the way.
“Better times are coming in South Philly,” Williams said. “They should be encouraged. These young guys, Tyrese Maxey, he’s in that space where you want to start seeing him come into his own, start reaching his prime years.
“You know Jared McCain is coming and start putting some talent around them. Joel Embiid, I think he’ll have better days to come. So, you should be encouraged if you’re if you’re a Philadelphia 76ers fan with the way that these young guards play.”
With Maxey leading the young core, the 76ers have a bright future ahead. The only concern for the franchise is his health, and avoiding another often-injured star.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
