76ers trade pitch sends Tyrese Maxey to Western Conference contender

Joe Mayo

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76ers trade pitch sends Tyrese Maxey to Western Conference contender image

The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to bounce back following an injury-riddled 2024-25 season in which they finished with a record of 24-58.

While their abysmal end to last season earned them Baylor standout V.J. Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick, Philadelphia will have a lot to consider if the squad's struggles and injury issues persist into this season. The Sixers had extremely high expectations ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, but the team’s star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George combined to play in just 112 regular-season games due to injuries.

With Jared McCain already dealing with a thumb injury, as well as Embiid and George both aging and injury prone, the Sixers may have to make some tough decisions if they get off to a poor start in the 2025-26 season.

MORE: 76ers trade proposal sends Paul George to lousy Western Conference team

76ers mock trade sends Tyrese Maxey to Rockets

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently compiled a mock trade that would help the Sixers rebuild, though they’d have to part with Maxey.

Here’s Buckley’s proposed trade:

76ers receive: Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, 2027 first-round pick (via PHO), 2029 first-round pick (most favorable of HOU, DAL and PHO)

Rockets receive: Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon

This deal wouldn’t be executable until mid-December, giving Philadelphia some time to decide if a rebuild is necessary. Sheppard and Eason both have significant upside and could help accelerate a potential rebuild alongside McCain and Edgecombe.

Additionally, at least one of the two first-round picks is guaranteed to be from the Suns, who aren’t expected to contend in a stacked Western Conference after trading Kevin Durant to Houston.

It would be extremely difficult for the Rockets to pry Maxey away from Philadelphia, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility either.

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Joe Mayo

Joe Mayo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024. He’s also a contributor at RotoWire. While Joe primarily writes about the NBA, he also covers the WNBA and MLB.