Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey is now one of the NBA's premier guards. He has always been a bright talent ever since his days at the University of Kentucky. Over the years, Maxey has developed into a fantastic guard for the 76ers, capable of scoring at will.
Despite his excellence over the years for Philadelphia, he almost did not play for the team. General manager Elton Brand was interested in trading the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Thankfully for the 76ers, Klutch Sports head Rich Paul intervened. He convinced Brand to stick with the pick, which ultimately became Maxey.
Paul was instrumental in bringing Maxey to Philadelphia
For his entire professional career, Maxey has been represented by Klutch Sports. That is important for any NBA player because Klutch is known for setting their players up well. Considering Brand was supposed to trade the pick, a phone call from Paul convinced Brand to not only retract the trade plans, but he also ended up selecting Maxey with the 21st pick.
"Philly was going to trade that pick, and I called and told Elton Brand, for sure, he'll tell you... I said, 'Elton, I'm telling you right now, if this guy gets to you, you better take him. Because he should have been gone," Paul said on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman.
76ers fans should be thankful for Paul because Maxey has blossomed into an All-Star and possibly an All-NBA-level player. Despite Joel Embiid's recent injury struggles, Maxey has stepped up and become the go-to player for Philadelphia. This was one of the best decisions in recent 76ers history, and they are reaping the benefits of the 25-year-old guard's development into a legitimate number one option.
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This season, Maxey has fully broken out as one of the best players in the Eastern Conference. He is averaging 31.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
The 76ers are one of the best teams in the East, currently holding the fifth seed. Based on preseason expectations, people did not have high hopes for the 76ers, but Maxey's rise has helped them surprise people.
Moving forward, Maxey will continue to be a top option for the 76ers. Even if they are reeling from Embiid's injury troubles, the 76ers organization knows Maxey is a new top star. Considering they nearly missed out on him, this was a masterstroke decision from Brand, and Paul deserves credit for convincing the 76ers to stick with their pick in 2020.