Young Sixers Star Imagines NBA Championship With Tyrese Maxey

It’s an image that Sixers fans hope to actually see sometime in the not-so-distant future. The fan base is hungry for an NBA title, and the drought is very much still in play.

Last year, the Sixers ended a seven-year streak of making the playoffs. As injuries piled up, with McCain and Maxey being among those affected, a lack of consistency contributed to a never-ending rough patch.

The small flashes throughout the year meant nothing. Anytime the Sixers gained an ounce of momentum, they would lose it all as the lineup would change. It got to a point where McCain, Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid were all ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Going into the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Sixers didn’t change much. The core members of the roster are still around. The Sixers hope that last year’s issues can be summed up to a lack of luck in the health department.

McCain is set to return after suffering a knee injury, which required surgery. Before he went down, McCain appeared in 23 games, averaging 26 minutes of playing time.

The rookie produced 15 points per game while shooting 38 percent from three. At the time of his injury, McCain was the clear favorite to win the league’s Rookie of the Year honor. He fell out of favor once he played his final game in December.

As for Maxey, he appeared in 52 matchups in 2024-2025. Coming off his All-Star year, Maxey posted averages of 26 points, three rebounds, and six assists. He made 44 percent of his shots from the field and 34 percent of his threes.

Both McCain and Maxey are expected to serve critical roles for the Sixers next season. They are working on building a successful backcourt for the future. Maybe one day, a photo of Maxey and McCain holding up the trophy won’t have to be AI-generated.