Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Former NBA big man believes 76ers are 'on the clock' with Tyrese Maxey

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 12:11 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers had hoped that adding Paul George during the 2024 offseason would help them join the Eastern Conference's elite last season.

Unfortunately, his and Joel Embiid's injuries hindered their playoff aspirations, and although they ended up with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (which they used to draft VJ Edgecombe), many questions remain.

Embiid may not be ready to start the season as he continues to recover from a knee injury, and George will be re-evaluated during training camp after receiving knee surgery on Monday.

Add the reports of Tyrese Maxey confronting Embiid over his tardiness and professionalism, and former NBA big man and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes it's just a matter of time before he asks out of Philadelphia:

"The Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock," Perkins said on ESPN's "First Take" on Thursday. "They're on the clock when it comes down to Tyrese Maxey, because if they keep trending in this direction of no culture and no stability, guess what? Tyrese Maxey is gonna want out of Philadelphia. And we know who his agent is, it's Rich Paul."

"The Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock... when it comes down to Tyrese Maxey... if they keep trending in this direction of no culture and no stability, guess what? Tyrese Maxey is gonna want out of Philadelphia."

- Kendrick Perkins

(via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/5QjMruNMOs
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 17, 2025

Maxey emerged as the team's leader last season, averaging a career-best 26.3 points per game to go along with 6.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.1 three-pointers.

He's become a legitimate All-Star, and having him stand up to Embiid last season during a closed-door meeting might show that things aren't going well.

The Sixers signed Maxey, a 2020 first-round draft pick, to a five-year, max rookie extension worth $203 million in July 2024, meaning he's under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Then again, Maxey's agent, Rich Paul, is known for getting what his players want, regardless of the cost. If the Sixers don't pivot towards Maxey, Edgecombe and 2024 first-round draft pick Jared McCain, he might not want to spend his prime years trying to carry an injury-riddled team on his own.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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