Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is officially out for the rest of the season, the team announced in an email.
The news isn’t a surprise considering that Philadelphia is well out of postseason contention and Maxey hasn’t played since March 3 due to a sprained tendon in a finger on his right hand. The team revealed that Maxey reinjured the finger as he was working to return to action, resulting in pain and swelling that led to the decision to shut him down. He’s expected to make a full recovery, the Sixers added.
Maxey was also dealing with a lower back sprain last month that kept him out of action. The NBA investigated the Sixers for possible violations of the player participation policy involving him and Paul George, but no penalties have been announced.
The 24-year-old guard was expected to form a Big Three with George and Joel Embiid that would vault Philadelphia into title contention. Instead, all three players missed significant time with injuries and they’ve all been shut down as the Sixers limp toward the finish line with a 12-game losing streak.
Maxey, who was an All-Star and the league’s Most Improved Player in 2023/24, averaged a career-high 26.3 PPG this season, even though injuries limited him to 52 games. He also contributed 3.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 37.7 minutes per night, but his shooting numbers fell to 43.7% from the field and 33.7% from three-point range as he was asked to carry the offense on many nights.