Tyrese Maxey Deserves More Hype In The MVP Conversation
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 04: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on November 04, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
It’s time for the rest of the NBA to accept that Tyrese Maxey needs to be even closer in MVP debates.
The 2025-26 76ers are a very confusing team. To kick off the season, they opened up to an impressive 4-0 start, but a quick reality check has brought them back down, and they currently sit at 10-9 overall and at the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Health is finally going the 76ers’ way, as during Sunday evening’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Maxey was joined by Paul George and Joel Embiid for the first time on the season. Second-year guard Jared McCain is also upping his play coming back from his thumb and knee injuries, and rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe‘s calf injury seems to be on its way to being fully healed.
This 76ers squad will likely remain around this record for the rest of the season, staying close to .500, whether it’s above or below that mark. How a playoff run will go, we’re not sure of that answer, but this team has talent surrounding it, and in a conference very up in the air, who knows what happens? As for now, one thing is true: Philadelphia is moving in the right direction, and that’s in large part due to one person. Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is playing alongside two players, Embiid and George, who are no doubt first-ballot Hall of Famers and were, for a brief period, considered top stars across the league. When George signed with Philadelphia back in the 2024 offseason, he was coming to form a big three with Embiid and Maxey. The thought from many was that George was supposed to be Embiid’s right-hand man, a true veteran who could hit late-game shots and help on defense.
Obviously, Maxey would have a role. He would get his shots throughout games, be the tough scoring guard who can set the floor, and do a little shooting of his own. However, many people felt that on the totem pole, Maxey was the third option in the future of the 76ers’ offense.
Well, those thoughts are officially out the window, and you can blame injuries or age on those opinions, but the clear star of this team moving forward is Maxey. He has shown flashes of excellence throughout his time in the NBA, and last season, especially with Embiid missing a majority of the season and George struggling throughout the year, Maxey took a big jump.
He was becoming the top dog for a team. A guy who can take the big shot, get the tough buckets, and lead the team through rough patches, but give you hope that better days are ahead. It’s a role that many NBA players can’t excel at, but for Maxey, he’s doing it.
And that moves us to this season. Maxey has clearly become the number one scoring option on this team, no matter who he’s playing next to. Through 19 games, I think without a doubt, Maxey should be the league’s MVP. He’s averaging 31.7 points per game, 7.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals a game, while shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three. The 31.7 points are the third most in the league behind Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
He has recorded 40 or more four times this season, and even recently dropped a career-high 54 points in an overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The most recent 76ers game saw Maxey come up clutch as well, scoring a late three down three to send the game to overtime.
Maxey currently sits at +6600 odds, the sixth-best odds in the league to take home the award. Due to the 76ers likely not reaching the top records in the league this season, it’ll be an uphill battle for Maxey to beat out the Nikola Jokics or SGAs of the world for the award. But in my opinion, in terms of value, I don’t think anyone is more valuable to a team than Maxey is to the 76ers.
This 76ers team, without Maxey, would be a bunch of low-end starters and role players who would have to carry two aging stars every other night. He brings a star’s presence every time he touches the floor, and the 76ers and co. feel like they have a chance to win every game that he plays in. That’s what a true MVP is, and that’s why his hype for the award needs to be even greater than it is now.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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