76ers Gain From NBA Injury Wave Now, but Maxey's Next Contract Could Cost More

The injuries piling up around the NBA in the first week are already helping the Philadelphia 76ers. They could also make Tyrese Maxey a lot more expensive. That's the argument Bryan Toporek makes for Liberty Ballers, in a piece syndicated through SB Nation. Philadelphia's five starters are healthy while several rivals are missing key players, and the same absences thin out the field Maxey is up against for All-NBA honors.

Philadelphia has already benefited once. Indiana played Wednesday without Tyrese Haliburton and starting center Ivica Zubac, and the Sixers left with a 114-109 road win. The calendar may help again: Toronto visits on Nov. 12 and the Sixers play in Orlando six days later, so they could avoid Kawhi Leonard and Paolo Banchero. Indiana also comes to Philadelphia on Nov. 15 and meets them again later in November. Beyond those head-to-head games, Toporek notes that an early slide by the Magic or Raptors would leave one fewer contender for a top seed in a crowded East. That would matter for a team that expects to rest Joel Embiid and LeBron James through the regular season.

The cost shows up later. Maxey made the All-NBA third team last season, partly because Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo fell short of the 65-game minimum. Edwards looks likely to miss the cutoff again, and Leonard and Haliburton are already at risk. A second straight All-NBA selection would raise Maxey's extension eligibility next summer from three years at 30 percent of the 2029-30 cap to four years at 35 percent, and it would qualify him for a five-year supermax in 2028. He is playing like a candidate: 28.4 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds through five games, plus Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Maxey is under contract through 2028-29, but Embiid's and Jaylen Brown's deals run through that season too, assuming Embiid picks up his $67.3 million player option, and VJ Edgecombe could reach restricted free agency in 2029. Toporek calls that "a lot of overlapping pieces to juggle."

What it means Friday against New York

The Sixers (4-1) host the Knicks on Friday night on Prime Video in an NBA Cup group-play game. They've won four of five, and the only loss was a 106-93 home defeat to Detroit. They opened the season by winning 106-100 at Madison Square Garden. New York comes in at 2-3, and ESPN's injury report lists Jose Alvarado (ankle) as out. Philadelphia's absences are bench and depth players: Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall and Ariel Hukporti. None of them start.

The Knicks are still favored despite the records. They're -115 on the moneyline at Novig and favored by 2.5 points, with Philadelphia +2.5 at -111. The Sixers are +113 at Novig, and the best price among the 12 venues on our board is +114 at BetRivers, so the venues are almost level on the winner. Sportsbook hold runs from 3.0 to 4.5 percent on that market. The total sits at 227.5 at Novig, with the over at -104 and the under at even money. FanDuel has the best under, at 228.5 for -108.