The Philadelphia 76ers Now Internally See A Young Star As The Face Of Their Franchise

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a few down years in the past few seasons, but in 2025–26, the team is flashing the potential that could make them a genuine contender in the Eastern Conference. With a healthy Joel Embiid, the team is even better, and while it's been some time since we've seen a full season of the MVP, he remains the face of the Sixers franchise.

However, that may be changing, as a report from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne has revealed that internally, the team seemingly no longer sees Embiid as the face of the franchise, but rather rising star Tyrese Maxey.

"I think the feeling is that this is Tyrese Maxey's team, and over the summer it started to turn that page because people just frankly didn't know when Paul George and Joel Embiid would be able to play … and so the Sixers had to pivot—and it turns out Tyrese Maxey is really good, and he is the franchise now."

Maxey had a breakout season in 2024–25, and this season he's taken it to another level entirely, averaging 32 points, five rebounds, and eight assists per game. Along with Maxey, the Sixers have built a strong young core with VJ Edgecombe, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes, and as a result, the future is looking bright.

Maxey can't do it alone, however, so with the combination of him and a healthy Embiid, the Sixers' hopes are very high for this season, but long-term, it's clear that Maxey is who they will pin those hopes upon.