Tyrese Maxey’s NBA Most Improved Player odds post James Harden trade

The short-lived James Harden era is over in Philadelphia, and it’s now Tyrese Maxey’s time to shine.

The young 76ers guard is off to the best start of his four-year career after taking home Player of the Week honors for the opening days of the NBA season.

Vegas oddsmakers are taking notice, placing Maxey in a league of his own for Most Improved Player odds.

Just a few games into the season, the 22-year-old is +200 or better to win the award at every major sportsbook.

At BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook, Maxey is as low as +175.

At BetRivers, for example, no other player has odds better than +1200 to win Most Improved Player.

Only Cade Cunningham (+1200) and Cam Thomas (+1400) have odds better than 15/1 at the sportsbook.

Oddsmakers are likely reacting to Maxey’s white-hot start to the season, but also how he performed in Harden’s absence last year.

Maxey is averaging 30.3 points per game through three games, the sixth-highest average in the NBA entering Thursday, on 50.3 percent shooting.

He’s one of three players, along with teammate Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic, to be averaging 30-plus points and six-plus assists and rebounds per game.

The white-hot start has no doubt put him on oddsmakers’ radar, but Maxey has proven he can thrive with the ball in his hands next to reigning MVP Embiid in the past.

Maxey put up All-Star-level numbers when Harden was out last season, averaging 24.8 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 13 games.

Betting on the NBA?

Now, with the ball-stopping Harden officially in Southern California, Nick Nurse and his coaching staff can let Maxey loose.

If you got your Maxey MIP bet in before the trade, or better yet, prior to the season, good for you.

There isn’t much value left in betting on Maxey to win the award now, but if he stays healthy and the Sixers stay relevant in the Eastern Conference he’ll be in the conversation until the end, at the very least.