Sixers president has high praise for Tyrese Maxey

Daryl Morey sees a future with Tyrese Maxey staying in Philadelphia. According to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, Morey believes Maxey will be a "cornerstone for a very long time."

Maxey is a rising star in the NBA. He is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 20.3 points per game with 43.4 percent shooting on three-pointers. He was arguably the most consistent player for the 76ers in the playoffs, putting up similar averages to his regular season numbers.

Maxey is eligible for a contract extension, but the team has elected to hold off on an extension until next summer. This brought uncertainty as to whether Philadelphia was truly invested in Maxey, but Morey's comments all but confirmed their interest in keeping him.

Maxey's name has been involved in trade rumors this offseason. In particular, Damian Lillard is a player that would interest the Philadelphia 76ers. However, it would likely cost them Maxey to bring Lillard to Philadelphia. The 76ers have kept Maxey out of the conversation and intend to keep him.

Maxey will get his money, but not until next offseason. By not extending Maxey until next summer, the 76ers have the financial flexibility to seek another star to pair with Joel Embiid. The need to add another star is urgent. Embiid won the MVP last season and is in the prime of his career. Meanwhile, his star teammate James Harden opted into his contract this season with the intent to be traded.

Embiid put the pressure on the 76ers by hinting about considering other destinations to compete. If they want to keep him, they will need to win now. Part of that requires Maxey to take another big step in his development, as well as Philly making the right decisions to keep Maxey around.