There's a strong case to be made that Tyrese Maxey is the most valuable player in the NBA. He led the Association at 38.0 minutes per game and guided the Phliadelphia 76ers through a season that saw Joel Embiid miss 44 games and Paul George sit for 45.
For as well as he's played, the 76ers are tempting fate with Maxey's demanding role. One can't help but feel as though Jared McCain could've saved them from this delicate situation.
Maxey is currently averaging 40.0 minutes per game during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. That number is somewhat skewed by the fact that he played 27 minutes during Game 1 of the 76ers' second-round series against the New York Knicks due to how quickly it became a blowout loss.
Subtract Game 1 against the Knicks and Maxey is actually averaging 41.8 minutes per game during the postseason—and has played 45-plus minutes in two of his past three appearances.
That includes a brutal Game 2 during which Maxey rested for a grand total of 12 seconds. The 76ers needed him for every moment he was on the court, but that's due in no small part to the still baffling decision to trade McCain for draft compensation and no immediate value.
As McCain thrives with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's becoming even more difficult to ignore how valuable he could've been to the 76ers.
As Jared McCain thrives with Thunder, Tyrese Maxey is left on an island
Maxey clearly has support at guard with sensational rookie VJ Edgecombe and quality backup Quentin Grimes. Maxey shoulders a unique burden as the go-to scorer and playmaker, however, and both Edgecombe and Grimes are prone to inconsistency in the scoring department.
McCain isn't necessarily guaranteed to step up, but he's shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from beyond the arc during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
McCain has been particularly effective during the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 12 points in 15 minutes during Game 1 and followed with 18 points in 18 minutes during Game 2, shooting 4-of-7 and 7-of-11 from the field.
McCain buried four three-point field goals during both of those outings, which would've undoubtedly aided a 76ers side that ranks No. 3 among remaining playoff teams in three-point attempts per game.
Unfortunately, with McCain elsewhere, the 76ers are down a specialist and have inevitably risked pushing Maxey too far. He's otherworldly in his stamina and abilities, but he's also human. Playing beyond the realm of what has typically proven sustainable is thus a dangerous strategy.
One can only hope that the 76ers will figure out an approach that limits the wear and tear on Maxey despite losing McCain for exclusively long-term gains.