76ers Trade Rumors: Tyrese Maxey Is 'As Close to Untouchable as You Could Be'

The Philadelphia 76ers face a long list of questions this offseason, but the franchise appears to already know the answer about one player.

Any team that inquires about the availability of Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey is likely to hear an emphatic "no."

"Maxey is as close to untouchable as you could be," a source recently told Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.

Maxey made a substantial leap in his sophomore season in the NBA. The 21-year-old improved his numbers across the board with averages of 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Maxey's development was accelerated partly because of the absence of Ben Simmons earlier this season. When Simmons requested time away from Philadelphia to address his mental health, the Sixers thrust Maxey into the starting lineup, and he delivered right away. The Sixers eventually traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the package that netted them James Harden.

Maxey is also considered a high-character player. His traits both on and off the court "have him rated ultra high for the Sixers internally, certainly higher than even they guessed when they selected him in the draft two years ago," per Neubeck.

As Maxey's star power continues to rise, the Sixers would only include him in a trade if it's to bring in a star player to pair with Harden and star center Joel Embiid.

"[Maxey] is not going to be the sweetener in a deal if they move him, but the guy driving the outgoing value of a deal," Neubeck wrote. "Don't expect him to move unless a very big fish is coming back."