BOSTON — Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to take the next step this season and win their first NBA Championship in 44 years. Before that can happen, the new-look Sixers must put in the work on and off the court.

The shocking trade for Jaylen Brown this summer put the Sixers in a stronger position to land LeBron James, which they did on July 22nd. With Maxey, Brown, James, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe on the roster, this 76ers team is expected to compete for an NBA title alongside the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

On paper, this 76ers team is one of the best. In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints late this summer, Tyrese Maxey tells ClutchPoints the team still needs to put the work in on the floor, in practices and using in-game reps, before they can be considered title contenders.

“We haven't gotten on the court yet, so we'll see,” Maxey told ClutchPoints. “But as far as the chemistry off the court, guys are communicating, guys are having a good time doing it, guys are really pumping each other up, and guys are also willing to sacrifice. It's just what they've said. So when we step on the court, we have to kind of embody all those things that we've been talking about.

“Sacrificing, coming together as one, and going out there competing every single night. Those are the three things that we really have to focus on. It's going to be one day at a time. One day at a time and one step at a time. There's going to be some good days, there's going to be some bad days, but at the end of the day we always want to be stepping in the right direction to come playoff time.”

Maxey is coming off a year in which he averaged career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Alongside Embiid and Edgecombe, Maxey's Sixers upset the Boston Celtics by coming back from down 3-1 only to get swept by the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs. But the players, organization, and its fans are striving for more.

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Selected 21st overall by the 76ers in the 2021 NBA Draft, Tyrese Maxey has been out to prove the franchise right for drafting him. That continues to motivate him despite the career year and individual success he's ad.

“My biggest thing was I wanted to get better and better every single year, every single day, and I've tried to do that,” Maxey said. “I've really, really tried to work extremely hard to do that and I want to just be the best I can possibly be for my organization. They believed in me. They gave me an opportunity. I was blessed and they drafted me early, with the 21st pick, and I just told them, from day one, they wouldn't regret it. I'll make sure of it and I've tried my best to make sure of that.”

LeBron James will be 42 years of age in December and Joel Embiid will need to be limited in the regular season in order to get the best version of himself in the postseason.

The Toronto Raptors have revamped their roster with the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. Giannis Antetokounmpo has joined forces with Bam Adebayo on the Miami Heat. Fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, the Cleveland Cavaliers have added Peyton Watson to the mix. And the New York Knicks are defending NBA Champions.

From the injury concerns to a stacked Eastern Conference, the Sixers will have their work cut out for them. But Maxey is ready to take his game to greater heights and the 76ers with him.