Tyrese Maxey expected to be ruled out for rest of season with pinkie finger injury, according to report
The thumb issue clearly affected his shooting, as he connected on only 32.4% of his field-goal attempts and went 9-of-43 from three-point range in his final seven games played.
Tyrese Maxey is expected to be ruled out for the remainder of the 76ers’ season with a pinkie finger sprain, according to an ESPN report Thursday, though coach Nick Nurse would not publicly confirm that plan during his pregame news conference ahead of a home matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Our medical [staff] just told me he’s out for tonight,” Nurse said.
When asked to clarify if the ESPN report — which included on-the-record confirmation from Maxey’s agent, Rich Paul — was inaccurate, Nurse responded with: “I don’t know. I’m just telling you what they told me: that he’s out for this evening.”
A possible reason for the lack of clarity from the Sixers is that the NBA has recently fined tanking teams jockeying for draft lottery positioning, such as the Utah Jazz with 2023 All-Star Lauri Markkanen. The Sixers entered Thursday with the NBA’s fifth-worst record (23-53) with six games remaining.
» READ MORE: Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee injury
Still, the presumed decision comes after Maxey, who has not played since March 3, went through workouts Tuesday and Wednesday and participated in Friday’s practice. Nurse said Maxey had worn a splint during that Friday team session, but the finger “bothered” him afterward. The Sixers coach added Thursday that Maxey received additional imaging on the injury.
When asked where the line lies between Maxey still attempting to play and shutting it down for the final five games, Nurse said, “the line is if he’s healthy [and] feeling good.”
Maxey initially tried to play through the pinkie injury that occurred just before the mid-February All-Star break, before a back injury sustained in a March 3 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers finally forced him to sit out. The pinkie issue clearly affected his shooting, as he connected on only 32.4% of his field-goal attempts and went 9-of-43 (20.9%) from three-point range in his last seven games.
Maxey, who signed a max contract last summer, averaged a career-high 26.3 points this season and visibly improved as a defender while averaging 1.8 steals. But his efficiency dipped while carrying an unexpectedly heavy offensive load for a struggling, injury-riddled Sixers team.
He acknowledged becoming uncharacteristically frustrated during the early part of the season, but vowed to maintain the positivity with teammates and energetic playing style that quickly made him an ascending star and fan favorite. He became a first-time All-Star last season while creating a dynamic tandem with former MVP center Joel Embiid.
The news about Maxey broke less than 24 hours after the Sixers announced that Embiid will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week and less than three weeks after marquee free-agent signing Paul George was ruled out for the rest of the season because of a groin injury.
None of these developments are surprising, but they still underscore what a flop this Sixers season has been.