Report: Tyrese Maxey expected to be ruled out for rest of 2024-25 season

As expected, Tyrese Maxey’s fifth NBA season appears to be at an end after 52 games played, though the team says otherwise

Tyrese Maxey’s 2024-25 season is likely over. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Maxey is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a finger tendon injury.

Maxey last took the court on March 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but signs of injury appeared before then, as his perimeter shooting noticeably declined. Now likely done for the year, his season comes to an early end with averages of 26.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.4 blocks over 52 games. Playing 37.7 minutes per game, he shot 43.7% from the field, 33.7% from three and 87.9% from the free-throw line, though injuries certainly impacted his efficiency late in the season.

As has been said many times this season, it’s been a rough one for the Sixers overall. However, Maxey was one of the few bright spots. After a slow start, he thrived as the team’s primary scoring option, with his best stretch coming in January — averaging 29.9 points, 7.1 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 46.9% from the field and 34.4% from three over 16 games. While the circumstances weren’t ideal, these reps as a focal point of opposing defenses should benefit both Maxey and the Sixers moving forward.

While Maxey is primarily known for his scoring, he also made significant strides defensively this season. His steals per game reached a career-high by a wide margin, placing him among the league’s top steals leaders. His improved defensive instincts, combined with his quickness and effort, made him a more well-rounded player — an encouraging sign for his long-term development as a two-way guard.

Maxey had been working toward a potential return this season, as hinted by head coach Nick Nurse. However, that now appears unlikely. In reality, a comeback never made much sense, as the Sixers have seemingly shifted their focus toward preserving a high draft pick. With this decision, Maxey joins Paul George, Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, and Eric Gordon as Sixers who have officially been shut down for the remainder of the season.

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Update: 4/3, 6:09 p.m.

This topic obviously came up during Nick Nurse’s pre-game media availability ahead of their matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Nurse didn’t exactly contradict the report, but he certainly didn’t confirm it either.

“First of all, he’s just out for this evening,” he said, “he did receive more imaging as well, but our medicals just told me he’s out for tonight.”

That prompted a follow up over whether the ESPN report was incorrect. Nurse simply said he didn’t know, and reiterated that Maxey was out for the evening.

There are two reasonable reactions to this, and they go hand in hand with each other. The first is that it’s totally absurd that news is still official, Maxey is clearly still hurt and there is absolutely no upside in him playing a game again this season. The second, is that the NBA’s player participation policy is stupid.

Anytime Nurse has been asked about Maxey in the past few, he’s had to give lip service to a potential return, but hasn’t seemed convincing at any point. He was again asked before the Bucks game what’s the point of Maxey return, he said, “I think the line is if he’s healthy, felling good, [he’ll play.]”

Any time Maxey’s worked out in front of reporters he’s looked fairly uncomfortable trying to do anything. Because any All-Star’s absence, especially a long one, triggers an investigation from the league, the Sixers feel they have to keep playing out the string well into April.