Which 76ers Rival Players Will Join Tyrese Maxey on RFA Market?
On Monday, NBA teams had their final chance to strike extensions with prospects selected early on during the 2020 NBA Draft class. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they had a decision to make regarding Tyrese Maxey and made the expected move by not extending an offer at the moment.
The Sixers aren’t the only Eastern Conference contender to withhold offers from prospects of the 2020 Draft, however. In addition, the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and the New York Knicks took a similar route.
11 prospects, including Maxey, will join the 2024 free agency market as restricted options for teams next summer. Their respective organizations can extend qualifying offers for a year, while interested suitors can make multi-year offers, which could be matched by the team with the player’s rights.
For the Sixers, they seem interested and confident in getting Maxey back for the 2024-2025 season and beyond. They just opted to wait, as the 2024 free agency period will be significant for the Sixers, considering some key players such as Tobias Harris and James Harden are set to test the market themselves as unrestricted prospects.
Here’s a look at the rest of the East’s 2020 selections that are set to become available.
Detroit Pistons
James Wiseman & Killian Hayes
The Pistons weren’t the ones gambling their second-overall pick on Wiseman, but they landed him at a discounted price after the Golden State Warriors cut their loss last season. After an underwhelming start to his NBA career, Wiseman reaches a make-or-break year. As for Hayes, he’s a home-grown top-ten pick for the Pistons, who has struggled on the offensive end of the floor through three seasons.
Chicago Bulls
Patrick Williams
The Bulls are in an odd place. Their key players allow Chicago to pose a threat as low-seeded playoff contenders, but they are on the brink of a rebuild. Word around the NBA rumor mill is that Williams wants a big contract in free agency. It’s unclear if the Bulls are sold on the 22-year-old or not, but they clearly aren’t sold on bringing him back beyond this season for the price he desires just yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Isaac Okoro
The Cavs’ veteran lands in a similar situation as Maxey with the Sixers. The Cavaliers are considering making an offer to bring Okoro back in the fold for years to come, but they want to play the waiting game and re-visit extension talks next summer, according to Cleveland.com.
Indiana Pacers
Obi Toppin
The Obi Toppin-New York Knicks pairing proved to be a dud. While the New York-born college star at Dayton anticipated a notable role in the Big Apple, he started just 15 of 201 games, averaging fewer than 15 minutes on the floor throughout his career with the Knicks. In July, Toppin was moved to the Indiana Pacers. Being that he hasn’t played beyond the preseason for the Pacers, playing the waiting game was the logical move for both parties.
Orlando Magic
Chuma Okeke
Getting a late start to his pro career due to an ACL injury, Okeke didn’t pan out to be the major steal that some analysts predicted. The Magic have the type of roster that can continue to take chances on young players with a lot to prove, but they have to turn a corner soon.
Atlanta Hawks
Saddiq Bey
The former Villanova standout looked like a rising star on the Detroit Pistons, but amidst his third season with the organization, Bey was moved at the 2023 trade deadline. In a four-team trade, Bey landed in Atlanta, where he had the opportunity to appear in 25 regular season games, one play-in matchup, and six playoff games. The Hawks still have to find out if Bey is truly a rising gem in the league or a solid reserve in the rotation who doesn’t require getting paid the big bucks.
Toronto Raptors
Precious Achiuwa & Malachi Flynn
The future outlook of the Toronto Raptors is unknown. Many anticipated a rebuild after the departures of the head coach, Nick Nurse, and the starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, but the Raptors are still out there trying to make win-now moves. Perhaps Achiuwa and Flynn aren’t in the plans beyond this upcoming season.
New York Knicks
Immanuel Quickley
The Sixth-Man of the Year contender is probably better off reaching the free agency market next season. As the Knicks are steadily keeping an eye on some of the NBA’s top guards, Quickley may struggle to reach the next level in New York if the Knicks land one of their notable prospects of interest at some point. Quickley is a slow but steady riser and could draw some solid offers for his services next summer.
