Tyrese Maxey of the Sixers (right thumb contusion) will not return against Magic

Well, this wasn't how the Sixers wanted to end the preseason.

Tyrese Maxey left the team's final preseason game against the Magic early Friday and will not return because of a bruised right thumb. PHLY's Kyle Neubeck reports that Maxey is sitting as a precaution.

It is difficult to say exactly when the injury occurred. Maxey fouled Orlando forward Paolo Banchero and both players went down. After the fall, Maxey seemed fine, laughing and helping Banchero get up. He appeared to favor the hand after bringing the ball up on the ensuing possession.

Joel Embiid has missed the entire preseason as the team tries to carefully manage his surgically repaired left knee. Paul George suffered a bone bruise after hyperextending his left knee in Atlanta last week. We won't know the status of the two stars for next week's season opener on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks until Monday at the earliest.

It's fair to question whether Maxey should have been in this at all. With both Embiid and George out, Maxey is the one player who couldn't be afforded an injury before opening night. The dynamic guard also appeared to be well prepared for the regular season, having already played in four preseason games. It's a random injury, but it could have been avoided entirely by keeping their best remaining player on the ice.

So now we wait for more updates on Maxey as we wait to get a clearer picture of George's timeline and Embiid's game status.

Your Philadelphia 76ers, ladies and gentlemen.