Why re-signing Tyrese Maxey may be the last move the 76ers make this offseason

It's no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers intend to sign reigning Most Improved Player of the Year Tyrese Maxey to a maximum contract extension. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed as much on Tuesday.

However, the deal may not get finalized as soon as possible when the NBA Finals conclude -- teams are not eligible to negotiate until then. While that may initially raise eyebrows and even concern some, it comes with good reason.

Why re-signing Tyrese Maxey may be the last move the 76ers make this offseason

Philadelphia has Maxey's Bird Rights, meaning they can go over the cap to re-sign him. Waiting to pay the 23-year-old All-Star gives the Sixers flexibility to allocate their finances toward other high-profile free agents they've reportedly had eyes on.

As Pompey points out, the 76ers "want a maximum-salary player" and have the resources to do it by exercising patience with Maxey. Their wish list includes premiere wings like LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler, the New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram and Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Philly can clear roughly $65 million in cap space this summer. They want to use this money to go big game hunting, hoping to land a third star to pair with Embiid and Maxey, per Pompey. So Sixers fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their franchise floor general is part of the picture despite his potential contract holdup.

The 2023-24 season marked Maxey's first year as a co-star to Embiid following the departure of former MVP James Harden, looking the part of an elite guard. He averaged career-highs in points (25.9), assists (6.2), rebounds (3.7) and steals (1.0) per game with .450/.373/.868 shooting splits across 70 contests.

Had Maxey earned All-NBA recognition this season, he would've qualified for a supermax contract valued at $245.3 million over five years. He received votes for the prestigious honor but ultimately fell short.

Yes, Maxey likely prefers to get paid as soon as possible and wishes he was supermax-eligible. Alas, he will have to "settle" the five-year, $205 million deal the Sixers can offer him. Moreover, it won't happen until/if Philly acquires one of their desired targets.