Getty Tyrese Maxey #0 (L) and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sorry folks, Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey is off the market. The shoe market, that is.
The former Kentucky Wildcat announced a partnership with New Balance on Wednesday, making the news official on Twitter.
“NEWBIE GANG!,” Maxey tweeted, responding to New Balance’s initial post.
Adam Herman of NBC Sports, who reported on the deal, noted that Maxey’s “deal is yet another sign of the 22-year-old’s rising status around the NBA.” By joining New Balance, Maxey joins a nice roster that includes Kawhi Leonard, Zach LaVine, and Jamal Murray.
And those at New Balance know Maxey will be yet another stud addition.
“As one of the most talented young players in the league, we’re excited to welcome Tyrese to the New Balance family,” New Balance’s Head of Global Sports Marketing Basketball Naveen Lokesh told FanNation. “He embodies the charisma and personality of the New Balance Brand. We are excited to start working with Tyrese to further highlight his style in the game and his desire to inspire the next generation, both on and off the court.”
Maxey joins his Sixers’ teammates Joel Embiid and James Harden, both of whom have their own shoe deals with Under Armor and Adidas, respectively.
Could Maxey be on the Move?
Though he secured a shoe deal off the court this season, Maxey’s struggled to build on last year’s explosive successes. Part of that is due to a foot injury that sidelined Maxey for an entire month and one that he’s still playing his way back into shape. Long gone are the days of predicting Maxey to make his first All-Star Game this season; that ship sailed with his injury.
But in Maxey’s absence stepped De’Anthony Melton. The draft-night acquisition from Memphis has been arguably Philadelphia’s best defender, using his length to record well-above-average block and steal rates.
Melton’s meteoric rise, built on the back of 40% shooting from three and menacing defense, has led to questions about whether Philly will go to more three-guard sets. But in a trade proposed by NBA insider Bill Simmons, the Sixers wouldn’t have to weigh such issues, instead choosing to sell high on Maxey to land long-time target and superstar Bradley Beal from the Wizards.
“I wonder if there’s a Philly trade (with the Washington Wizards),” Simmons said on his podcast last week. “This is a good ‘who says no’: Maxey and (Tobias) Harris for Beal. And I think Philly would say no, even though if I told you you could have (Joel) Embiid, Harden, and Beal on the same team a year ago, that would’ve seemed insane.”
The Sixers will get a chance to test drive its three-guard lineups over the next few weeks. But come playoff time, that small-ball lineup could work wonders offensively while still preserving Philadelphia’s top-five defense.
Sixers Targeting Lower-Stakes Moves?
But what if Philadelphia doesn’t want to make a Bradley-Beal-sized swing this season? If that’s the case, then Philadelphia could do well to shore up the backup center spot, offering some postseason insurance for Joel Embiid.
Adam Aaronson of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez wrote a list of possible centers that the Sixers could potentially target, chief among them being Andre Drummond because of his success with the team last season.
“Drummond is the most obvious trade target for the Sixers at the center position: first of all, he excelled in Philadelphia last season before being dealt in the James Harden trade, earning the trust of the coaching staff and fans. Getting Drummond on a veteran’s minimum was a shrewd move by Daryl Morey and co,” Aaronson wrote.
At the very least, we know there’s some interest in Drummond’s camp to return to the City of Brotherly Love.