76ers' Joel Embiid: Tyrese Maxey 'Can Be in' NBA MVP Discussion After Breakout Year

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers faced a first-round exit against the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs to end their season, but Embiid has hope for the future, and it starts with Tyrese Maxey.

Embiid's sidekick had outstanding growth in the 2023-24 season, and he believes Maxey is on his way to becoming the "face of the franchise."

"You've got a young superstar coming in and face of the franchise for his whole career in Philly," Embiid said.

The reigning MVP even thinks Maxey has the potential to be in the MVP conversation as soon as next season.

"He has a chance to do something special next year again," Embiid said. "I hope he becomes All-NBA this year. I think he can be in stuff like MVP conversations."

In his fourth NBA season, Maxey averaged 25.9 points per game—more than five points per game more than his 2022-23 numbers. He also notched 6.2 assists per game, which nearly doubled his numbers from a season ago.

Maxey has been trending upward since his rookie year, and it's clear he's on his way to being a superstar.

While many young players struggle to rise to the occasion in the playoffs, Maxey did so with ease. He put up 29.8 points per game in the first-round series against the Knicks, including a 46-point outing in an overtime win in Game 5.

Embiid has been looking for someone to ease some of the pressure off of him in the postseason, and he has found it in Maxey. Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Embiid compared himself and Maxey to Denver Nuggets' duo Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, who are currently looking to defend their title as NBA champs.

"We've talked about Jamal Murray, and what he's always done for [Jokić] in the playoffs," Embiid said. "...[Maxey is] not afraid. Make or miss shots, he's going to keep going. I've always seen that from him, and I always knew that he had it in him. So I'm just glad that in these moments when I just can't do it, I have someone else that can pick me up."

The process has helped Philadelphia start to turn its franchise around, but the 76ers are still looking to get over the hump of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. With Embiid and Maxey at the helm, reaching that milestone seems well within reach.