After hearing about the trade that will send his former backcourt partner James Harden to Los Angeles, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey sent a message to the 10-time All-Star to thank him for everything he’s taught Maxey since they teamed up in 2022, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“I texted him and I told him I love him, told him I appreciate him,” Maxey said. “One thing that he really installed in me is confidence. I’ve always been a confident person, but he made me be even more confident than I already was, and all I can do is appreciate him for that. He took me under his wing, taught me a lot of things as far as just being a professional in this league and how things go. So I appreciate him, and I love him. Same thing with Tuck (P.J. Tucker). Love those guys.”
While the trade with the Clippers will theoretically eliminate a “cloud of uncertainty” that had hung over the Sixers in recent months, Maxey believes the team had already been doing well in not letting the Harden saga become a distraction, per Bontemps.
“I think we’ve done a good job of keeping the main thing, the main thing, and I think that’s what’s gotten us all to a solid start,” Maxey said. “We have some really good guys that are focused, that are determined to go out there and play and, and show what we can do and, and coach that’s keeping our mind in the right place.”
Here are a few more notes on the Harden deal:
- The first week of the regular season couldn’t have gone much better for Maxey, as he embraced the lead guard role and was named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week. Was his hot start the impetus for the Sixers to make their Harden move now? Dan Devine explores that topic in a column for Yahoo Sports.
- While Tucker obviously isn’t the headliner in this trade, he may be the sort of versatile frontcourt defender that head coach Tyronn Lue has been seeking behind starting center Ivica Zubac, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. As Fischer observes, Patrick Beverley has long been a favorite of the Clippers’ front office and Tucker should bring a similar brand of toughness to the team.
- What happens next for both the Clippers and Sixers will be crucial in determining whether the deal is a win, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who notes that Los Angeles now has several stars on potential expiring deals while Philadelphia will likely return to the trade market seeking another impact player. Hollinger also wonders if Russell Westbrook will assume a sixth man role for the Clippers rather than share the starting lineup with three ball-dominant players like Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, and points out that the 76ers are a Furkan Korkmaz salary dump away from sneaking below the luxury tax line.
- A Monday phone call between Sixers owner Josh Harris and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer helped push the deal over the finish line, according to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link).
- Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports takes a look back at Harden’s tenure in Philadelphia, writing that the way it ended should come as no surprise.
Is everyone bored? Why is there such a rush to grade this trade?
The Saga is finally over, one should savor this time because the pressure is finally over and everyone can get on with it!!!!
PS Don’t ever let this happen again!!!
No they need to milk it as much as they can before they try to hype the next drama they can find
I love Russ but he can’t start w those 3. Sucks for him tho bc he’s done everything clips have asked him to do
Ummm….James Harden has been known to play SG once in awhile.
So this is likely the Clippers starting line up?
PG – Harden
SG – Mann
SF – George
PF – Kawhi
C – Zu
Mann goes back to the bench
G-Westbrook
G-Harden
F-George
F-Leonard
C- Zubac
I don’t know about George, Harden, Westbrook, and Leonard all on the court together. Harden is a defensive liability and Westbrook isn’t much better. George is alright I guess. I think the clippers shot themselves in the foot on that Harden trade
They didn’t give up anything. Morris and Covington were DNPs so weren’t helping on offense or defense. Batum was decent can play 1 through 5 but they have Tucker now doing the same, Batum better offense by a tiny bit. Martin only had 3 games so no real data.
Tucker literally brings nothing to the table anymore.
You make things up as you go. Absolutely one of the most nonsensical comments I’ve read.
I don’t know if James harden is really the basketball player you want to learn non basketball things from
Maxey is too humble and polite to be a modern NBA star.
I have to take a closer look at Maxey to see just what Harden “installed” in him.
Refreshing change.