Sixers pick up team options for young pieces Thybulle and Maxey

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The Sixers on Friday locked in two young pieces for an additional year.

The team announced that it picked up the third-year option on Tyrese Maxey and fourth-year option on Matisse Thybulle for the 2022-23 season. Per Spotrac, Maxey's option is worth approximately $2.73 million, Thybulle's $4.4 million.

Both Maxey and Thybulle look like strong picks late in the first round. The Sixers drafted Maxey 21st overall in 2020 and traded with the Celtics to snag Thybulle the year prior. 

Maxey has stepped into the starting point guard role this year in the midst of a lengthy saga with Ben Simmons. While the early results have been mixed for Maxey and the 3-2 Sixers, he's impressed with his knack for attacking the rim and eagerness to grasp the nuances of the position. He's averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. 

As enthusiastic as he is about learning and working, Maxey is figuring out how to separate himself from the sport on occasion in Year 2. 

"I feel like I’m a student of the game and ... I go home, watch the film, study," he said Thursday night after posting 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in a win over the Pistons. "But one thing I’m big on is debriefing once the game is over. (Kentucky coach John Calipari) taught me one thing: You get 24 hours to grieve.

"In the NBA, I give myself 12 hours to grieve, because you never know if you have a back-to-back or not. But you get 12 hours to grieve about the game and then you’re ready to go. (Sixers skill development coach) Tyler Lashbrook told me yesterday when we went in to work out, he said, ‘You need to have the memory of a goldfish.’ A goldfish has a short-term memory, so we’ll go with that.”

Thybulle made the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team in his second season, establishing himself as an outlandishly talented and impactful perimeter defender. Thybulle's 2.9 steals per 36 minutes led the league.

The Sixers would like Thybulle to progress as a three-point shooter and offensive threat, though head coach Doc Rivers has been pleased with the 24-year-old's improvement as a cutter in the early stages of this season.

Thybulle will become eligible for an extension after this year. 

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