On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers announced Micah Nori would be the franchise’s next head coach. A 17-year veteran NBA assistant coach, Micah is the father of Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, a 2024 first-round pick.
Micah Nori was the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past five seasons, supporting the development of star guard Anthony Edwards. With head coach Chris Finch sidelined with a ruptured patellar tendon during the 2024 playoffs, Nori took over a majority of the game day operations that postseason. The Timberwolves went on to make the Western Conference finals.
Just over a month after the Timberwolves fell to the Dallas Mavericks in that series, Micah was with 19-year-old Dante when he was drafted by the Phillies with the 27th pick out of Northville (Mich.) High School.
Earlier this week, prior to the Blazers announcement, Dante appeared on The Show before The Show, Minor League Baseball’s official podcast. On the podcast, he talked about the various NBA players he grew up around due to his father’s profession. When Micah coached for the Toronto Raptors, Dante got to hang with Vince Carter. Then, when his father was hired by the Kings, he learned from DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins.
More recently, he has taken inspiration from Edwards’ work ethic.
“I mean, [Edwards is] a freak,” Dante said. “The most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You see the way he takes care of his business. Like, he’s one of the top five players in the NBA. And personally, I’d say he’s No. 1. You know how that goes.
“When I go [to the Timberwolves practice facility], I’m always in there like 5 a.m. lifting before they get in because I’m on their time. As soon as I’m done, [Edwards] is one of the first ones in. No matter what level you’re at, the work, he never stops. He always wants more.”
In March, Dante starred in the World Baseball Classic. In six games with Italy, the outfielder had a 1.185 OPS with two home runs and six RBIs in six games.
Prior to the WBC semifinal, Dante got a shoutout from Alex Rodríguez — who is also a co-owner of the Timberwolves.
“This is a future star,” Rodríguez said on the Fox pregame show. “Dante Nori. Do not forget the name.”
Rodríguez’s proximity to Dante’s father may have made him a bit biased.
“People were like, ‘Let’s take that with a grain of salt,’” Nori told the Inquirer. “You laugh. As soon as I saw that, I was like, ‘Oh, here we go. Someone’s typing [a message]. Someone’s typing.’ I laughed about it, though.”
Off the field, Dante is an avid baseball card collector. Micah, who played baseball at Indiana before finding a career in basketball, shares this interest with him. He even helped Dante track down some of his rookie cards on eBay.
“When I paid, I used my real name and address,” Micah told the Inquirer. “The guy was like, ‘Wait, are you related?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m his dad.’ It’s a cool little community. Because the people would be like, ‘Oh my gosh. I have a couple more right here. I’ll send them to you.’”
Micah inherits a Blazers team that finished 42-40 and is headlined by 25-year-old All-Star forward Deni Avdija and veteran Damian Lillard. Interim coach Tiago Splitter was hired by the Bulls after stepping in to lead the team after then-coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI following an investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
Dante, 21, is batting .245 with 12 stolen bases in 52 games at double-A Reading this season.
Sixers take Labaron Philon Jr. from Alabama with the No. 22 pick
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. is heading to Philly.
NEW YORK – The 76ers have selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft.
This is the first draft pick for new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was hired earlier this month to replace Daryl Morey. And they use it on a player that could be one of the draft’s biggest sleepers.
Philon declared for the draft after his freshman season last year, but returned to college to use the feedback he received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. He also upped his scoring average to 22 points per game and is regarded as a strong defensive player.
In a draft analyst panel Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Jay Bilas, and Fran Fraschilla all said he could be one of the more impactful players selected later in the first round.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said.
With the pick, the Sixers will continue to lean on young (and smaller-statured) guards. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Philon adds to a backcourt already featuring All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting after going third overall last year.
Philon joins a Sixers team in an interesting spot under Gansey, who ran the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. He also kept intact the bulk of the Sixers’ front office that has made strong selections in recent drafts, including Tyrese Maxey at 21 in 2020 and Edgecombe third overall last year.
The Sixers finished seventh in the Eastern Conference standings during the regular season. They then rallied from down three games to one to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round, before getting swept by the eventual NBA-champion New York Knicks.
They boast a dynamic young backcourt in All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific Rookie of the Year ballot. Former perennial All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George are still effective – even fantastic – when available, but have struggled mightily to stay on the floor in recent seasons due to injury or, in George’s case, a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
The Sixers acquired the 22nd pick in the controversial Jared McCain trade at the February deadline. As of Tuesday night, they do not have a selection in Wednesday’s second round.
Philon selection will help dictate how the Sixers approach free agency. Starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve big man Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. And the Sixers have limited financial flexibility with Maxey, Embiid, and George still on max contracts for multiple seasons.
Bennett Stirtz joining Jared McCain, not replacing him in Philly
Bennett Stirtz is heading to Oklahoma City.
At media availability for the 2026 NBA Draft, The Inquirer talked to Bennett Stirtz about potentially joining the 76ers and replacing what the franchise lost when it traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Well, he’ll join him instead of replacing him. Stirtz was selected at No. 16 by the Memphis Grizzlies and will be traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a pick swap. That will make him a teammate of McCain in a backcourt full of talent with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and former Sixer Isaiah Joe.
While Stirtz was excited about the idea of providing space on the court for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, he’ll surely excited to land at No. 16 and join a franchise one season removed from winning the NBA title.
It’s been quite the journey for Stirtz so it’s no surprise that his move to the Thunder came with an additional move. He started his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State before standout seasons with Drake and Iowa cemented his status as an NBA draft pick.
Pennsauken product Yaxel Lendeborg heading to the Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg was selected with the No. 11 pick by the Golden State Warriors.
Yaxel Lendeborg went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to an NBA draftee.
The 23-year-old forward, who starred at Michigan this past season, was picked No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the first round Tuesday night.
Lendeborg had an untraditional path to the draft.
He thought his basketball career was over, until an opportunity arose — thanks to his mother Yissel — at the junior college level with Arizona Western College.
He spent three seasons at Arizona Western, where he emerged as a star in his third year, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds. In 2023, he transferred to Alabama-Birmingham and played two seasons with the Blazers.
In his final season, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference selection twice.
The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg graduated from UAB in 2025 and entered the transfer portal for his final year of of eligibility, which brought him to Michigan, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and an NCAA title.
He also averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines under Dusty May, who recently took the head coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. is heading to Dallas to play for his former coach, Dusty May.
The Dusty May move from Michigan to Dallas has made its first imprint on the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Mavericks elected to select Morez Johnson Jr. after he averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the 2026 National Champions.
Morez Jr., was asked multiple times at Monday’s draft availability if he was aware of his coach’s move and consistently said he was surprised and didn’t have any inside information.
Previously slotted around No. 15 in the draft, he interviewed and worked out well and moved up draft boards in recent weeks. And, of course, no one had more of a window into Morez’s skills than May.
That Michigan squad has drawn comparisons to the ‘Nova Knicks, who entered the NBA in droves after playing for head coach Jay Wright and recently reconnected with the New York Knicks to win the 2026 NBA title.
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has drawn on-court comparisons to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
Another Philly connection comes off the board at No. 7 as Darius Acuff Jr., goes to the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff Jr., won MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic in 2025 and signed a Reebok deal during his lone season at Arkansas, taking pictures with Iverson to celebrate the moment.
He’s receive on-court comparisons to Iverson as well because of his explosiveness in the paint and ability to finish around the rim. Both were also extremely productive in their brief college careers, as Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists as he led his team to the Sweet 16.
The early picks of the 2026 NBA Draft went exactly as expected with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Celeb Wilson occupying the top four spots.
And from there we will have an entirely open night before the Sixers finally make the first selection of the Mike Gansey era at No. 22.
There are a lot of options available for them, with holes on the perimeter and in the paint. The Sixers need shooting and rebounding so they will wait as names fly off the board and try to pick the best player available.
They could also make a move and try to move up the board to land a forward to complete their starting lineup or a shooter off the bench. Another approach is to find a big to take the backup spot behind Joel Embiid, who played only 38 games this past season and missed portions of the postseason.
AJ Dybantsa is headed to Washington as the No. 1 pick.
A Philly connection to top overall pick AJ Dybantsa: He played at BYU for former Sixers assistant coach Kevin Young.
At last year’s NCAA Tournament in Newark, Young called that stretch “the most important time of my life as a young coach.”
Young had been in the running for multiple NBA head-coaching jobs in recent years, before opting to take the job at BYU backed by lucrative NIL money and the resources to build a pro-style program. Last season, Young coached Egor Demin, who then was drafted eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
Read more about Young’s tenure with the Sixers (and Delaware 87ers!) and its impact here:
Adam Silver bullish on new anti-tanking rules that begin next season
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of the 2026 NBA draft speaks with Michael Rubin (left) and the Knicks’ Jose Alvarado.
Appearing on ESPN less than an hour before the start of the 2026 NBA draft, Commissioner Adam Silver appeared bullish on new rules intended to prevent teams from tanking for a better shot at the No. 1 pick.
“We will not be returning to a system where there’s an incentive to be bad,” Silver told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “I think it just caught up with us over the years. It was a practice by a very few teams over time.”
Silver didn’t mention the Sixers, who famously tanked for three straight seasons in the mid-2010s. Several teams were accused of tanking this season heading into a draft filled with a talented group of prospects, including the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards, who landed the No. 1 pick.
The new “3-2-1 Lottery” rules, which will be implemented next season, expand the lottery to 16 teams but flatten the odds. The three worst teams will be “draft relegated” and their odds of winning the lottery will actually decrease.
Had those rules been in place this season, it would’ve been harder for the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies to land top lottery picks.
Silver said the new rules offer “an actual incentive not to be really bad,” and will be in effect for at least the next three seasons.
“In essence, it’s grandfathered,” Silver said. “We all agree it would give us an opportunity to assess how this is working, and also look at some other approaches.”
Watch the First Round of the 2026 NBA Draft tonight at 8:00pm/et on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/MTBtMtK1ix
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 23, 2026
// Timestamp 06/23/26 3:43pm
New Blazers coach is the father of a Phillies prospect
Micah Nori is the father of Phillies prospect Dante Nori.
Happy belated Father’s Day, Micah Nori.
On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers announced that Micah Nori will become the franchise’s next head coach. Micah is the father of Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, a 2024 first-round pick.
Nori previously served as the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, supporting the development of star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Notably, with head coach Chris Finch sidelined with a ruptured patellar tendon during the 2024 playoffs, Micah took over a majority of the game-day operations that postseason. The Timberwolves would go on to make the Western Conference final.
Just over a month after the Timberwolves fell to the Dallas Mavericks in that series, Nori was beside his son as Dante was drafted to the Phillies with the 27th pick. Dante, selected out of Northville (Mich.) High School, was just 19 at the time.
Earlier this week, prior to the Blazers announcement, Dante appeared on The Show before The Show, Minor League Baseball’s official podcast. On the podcast, he talked about the various NBA players he grew up around due to his father’s profession. When Nori coached for the Toronto Raptors, Dante got to hang out with Vince Carter. Then, when his father was hired by the Kings, he learned from DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins.
More recently, he has taken inspiration from Anthony Edwards’ work ethic.
“I mean, [Edwards is] a freak,” Dante said. “The most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You see the way he takes care of his business. …
“When I go [to the Timberwolves practice facility], I’m always in there [at] like 5:00 a.m. lifting before they get in because I’m on their time. As soon as I’m done, [Edwards] is one of the first ones in. No matter what level you’re at, the work, he never stops. He always wants more.”
Nori inherits a Blazers team that finished 42-40 and is headlined by 25-year-old All-Star forward Deni Avdija and returning star Damiam Lillard. Portland found themselves in need of a coach after interim Tiago Splitter was hired by the Chicago Bulls. Last season, Splitter was elevated to lead the franchise after then-coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI following an investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
Meanwhile, across the country, Dante is 52 games into his season with the double-A Reading Fightin Phil. Dante is batting .245 and has registered 53 total hits and 20 RBI.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans shoots over Siena guard Gavin Doty during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NEW YORK – One of the prospects who visited the Sixers last week was Isaiah Evans, a sharpshooting wing from Duke.
Sound familiar?
It would be some strange symmetry if the pick the Sixers acquired in the controversial Jared McCain deadline trade was used on Evans. But Evans shot 36.1% on 100 three-point attempts last season, and excelled at on-the-move looks. That would boost a Sixers team that struggled from beyond the arc last season, ranking in the NBA’s bottom third in attempts and makes.
Evans was a complementary player on two star-studded Duke teams, first with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel and then with Cameron Boozer. He believes that college environment will ease his transition to the NBA because, he said, “minutes are tight, so you’ve got to scratch and claw for everything.”
“The bar was really high for competitiveness and how to think [about] the game,” Evans added.
Evans, who has a wiry 6-foot-6, 180-pound frame, likely will need to develop defensively and as a playmaker at the next level. But he has a bona fide skill that some draft evaluators also compare to Isaiah Joe, the former Sixers’ second-round pick who has since carved out a rotation role for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Can’t make this stuff up.
// Timestamp 06/23/26 1:18pm
Sixers could find rebounding help in first round
Washington forward Hannes Steinbach could be an option for the Sixers if they look add rebounding help.
The 76ers found a few gems at the forward position when they signed Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to two-way deals and locked them in with standard contracts.
That said, the Sixers could still use top-end talent at the position. While Barlow and Walker filled a void, more help is needed for a Sixers team that struggled to rebound all season.
That became even more of an issue in the playoffs, where the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks dominated the boards. The Sixers also often opted for four-out lineup with Joel Embiid accompanied by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre, and Paul George.
This is a deep draft with a number of players at the forward position who could help the Sixers if they fall to No. 22 — or if new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey values the position enough to move up. Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Washington’s Hannes Steinbach, Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, and Arizona’s Koa Peat are all players could potentially land within the Sixers’ range in the draft.
Steinbach believes he could be an option to play forward and fill in when Embiid goes to the bench or misses games, the latter of which has also become an important spot with the limitations of Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, who is set to enter free agency.
“Me being able to play the four and the five and multiple positions definitely allows me to fit in with many teams,” Steinbach said. “It’s important to have a big that puts pressure on the rim and outside and being able to stretch the floor.”
Steinbach could be gone as soon as pick No. 14, but he has credentials to match this description. The Washington big man averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, and knocked down 34% of his threes at 6-foot-10.
Sixers center Joel Embiid has been with the Sixers since 2014.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to Miami, Joel Embiid has a new title.
The Sixers center, who was drafted by the franchise in 2014, is now the longest tenured player with a single team in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo, the previous title holder, was selected by the Bucks a year prior. Just two players have been with a team longer than Embiid in the entire NBA: Stephen Curry (2009) and Draymond Green (2012) of the Golden State Warriors.
Led by Embiid, the Sixers have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. However, come playoff time, Embiid has been repeatedly sidelined by injuries. This year, after returning from an appendectomy to help defeat the Boston Celtics in seven games, Embiid missed Game 2 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the New York Knicks. The Sixers went on to lose the series in four.
During his introductory press conference on June 8, new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey was asked if the franchise was committed to sticking with Embiid long-term under his leadership.
“Obviously we have Joel,” Gansey responded. “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him so far. Excited to meet with him this week. But with him and the roster we have, that’s who we have. We got to get those guys on the floor. We got to create an identity and just get them to play basketball.”
“Paul [George] and Joel can still play at a high level,” Gansey added later. “We were 24-14 when Joel played and obviously in the playoffs, coming back from Boston.”
— Conor Smith
// Timestamp 06/23/26 12:05pm
Allen Graves is an ‘analytics darling’ and a Renaissance man
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves (right) battles for a loose ball with Kentucky’s Mouhamed Dioubate (left).
NEW YORK — Allen Graves chuckled when asked about the “analytics darling” descriptor that is consistently attached to him in draft scouting reports.
“I’ll take the title,” Graves said during Monday’s media availability. “I love it. … That’s just how I played my whole life. I pride myself on playing basketball, and if it shows up analytically, I guess that’s what it does.
“But I’m definitely grateful to have it, because it’s gotten me this far and I know how big of an impact it’s had on NBA scouts.
So impactful that the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Graves is one of this draft class’ more fascinating prospects — on and off the floor.
He reshirted his 2024-25 season at Santa Clara and did not start this past season. Yet he has become a rapid riser up draft boards because of his efficiency, basketball IQ, and old-school style that could make him a complementary fit on playoff teams deeper in the first round. He averaged 11.8 points on 51.2% shooting, and added 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Graves said Monday that natural feel for the game comes from his older brother, Marshall, who played at LSU, and sister, Amoura, who played at Auburn. Allen recalled tagging along to LSU practices, which at the time featured future NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.
“My brother and I, we butted heads a lot,” Graves said, “because he’d come home and make me do LSU’s boot camp [workouts] and everything. But [those] definitely prepared me for who I am today and prepared me for my game today.”
Graves also has eclectic non-basketball interests. He has a collection of around 30 backpacks with cartoon designs, ranging from Anime to Rugrats. He grew up fixing cars with his father, also named Marshall, at the family automotive shop in Ponchatoula, La. His current project? A 1994 Ford F150 he has named Gloria.
“Fixed her up,” Graves said. “ … Trying to get her back running and in perfect condition.”
And perhaps Graves’ ability to process quickly showed up in a game an unnamed NBA team asked him to play during his interview circuit at last month’s combine in Chicago. He said it involved taking one or two sugar packets out of a group, and whoever was left with the last one was the loser.
“I figured out the person that goes first wins every time,” Graves said. “So I told them that.”
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been compared to Allen Iverson.
While the 76ers won’t be selecting in the lottery this year, there is a Philly connection at the top of the draft.
Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to be a top-10 pick, has been linked to Allen Iverson, drawing on-court comparisons to the Hall of Famer after winning MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic and putting together a stellar freshman season. He also sports braids like Iverson famously has for the better part of 30 years and signed a deal with Reebok before finishing his one season in college.
And while Acuff doesn’t speak to Iverson often, he did receive valuable advice from the Sixers legend.
“The first time I ever met him he just told me play every game like it’s your last,” Acuff said. “I definitely take that with me. It’s great to see him. He always shows love to everybody, not just me.”
He must’ve took that to heart. Acuff did just that as he averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds for Arkansas as he carried them to an appearance in the Sweet 16. And he did that with a little bit of Iverson in his game.
Asked what he took most from the legendary guard, Acuff said, “I like his midrange scoring, the way he can touch the paint and how he can do different things once he gets two feet in the paint. So just taking different floaters, different fadeaways from him for sure.
Sixers could add another explosive perimeter player in Dailyn Swain
Texas wing Dailyn Swain could be a fit for the Sixers at No. 22.
NEW YORK — Could the Sixers use the draft to continue adding to an explosive young perimeter group already spearheaded by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe?
Dailyn Swain would fit the bill, and is projected to the Sixers at No. 22 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft released Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-6, 211-pound attacking wing from Texas averaged 17.3 points on 54% shooting — primarily as an isolation scorer and finisher — along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Swain also has flashed the defensive playmaking that could excel in Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s aggressive scheme.
Swain, who turns 21 next month, also would provide some insurance if the Sixers lose starter Kelly Oubre Jr. or sixth man Quentin Grimes in free agency, which begins June 30.
The biggest question surrounding Swain is his shooting, though that did improve during his college career that began at Xavier before following coach Sean Miller to Texas. Swain shot 34.4% on 93 attempts last season, but still has a slower release. Swain said Monday that, during workouts, he has aimed to prove he can shoot efficiently while tired after a long segment.
“It’s just confidence and shooting it the same every time,” Swain said from Monday’s media availability.
Swain had an in-person workout with the Sixers last week, posting a photo on his Instagram of the Philly skyline. He added he has tried to demonstrate his vocal leadership and competitiveness by being “the loudest guy” in those sessions.
Could the ‘Michigan Mavs’ be the next ‘Nova Knicks?
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) gives a high-five to Wolverines coach Dusty May, who is now the coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
NEW YORK – After the ‘Nova Knicks won the NBA title, could the “Michigan Mavs” be next?
That was a popular topic during Monday’s draft prospect media session, which occurred just after news broke that Michigan coach Dusty May had been hired by the Dallas Mavericks.
After leading the Wolverines to the national championship in March, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara are all projected to go in Tuesday’s first round. When asked about following in the footsteps of former Villanova standouts Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart — who ended the Knicks’ 53-year title drought less than two weeks ago — Lendeborg grinned and laughed.
“If we all get to go to the Mavs and we get to do that,” he said through the chuckles, “we’re definitely going to turn the city up, just like they did here. I would love to do that.”
The Mavericks entered Tuesday with the ninth overall pick. Lendeborg joked that he planned to tell May that “he better pick me up. If he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad. I might block him.” Then Lendeborg’s tone turned sincere, saying “it would be amazing being able to stick with [May].”
“[The Mavericks are] getting an awesome guy,” Lendeborg said. “A guy who cares about everybody else’s issues rather than themselves, in a way. Just super genuine, super humble, and a hardworking guy. He loves the game. He loves what he does, and I feel like he’s going to be a great team connector
Will ‘role player’ Zuby Ejiofor be available for the Sixers at 22?
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino speaks with forward Zuby Ejiofor during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NEW YORK — During a Monday gathering of basketball experts that also included ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, Fran Fraschilla also was asked about St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor, who reportedly worked out for the Sixers last week. Fraschilla, a longtime coach, said Ejiofor has “all the attributes you want from a role player.”
“There’s only 25 stars in the league, and there’s 425 role players,” Fraschilla said. “And he’s the epitome of a guy that will defend, rebound, catch lobs, maybe make a jump shot here and there. But [he’s] a great teammate.
“I expect that there’s a possibility he could sneak into the end of the first round because he’s going to go to a playoff team more than likely there, where he fits the culture … When you get a kid from Rick Pitino’s program, you’re not worried about how hard he’s gonna work.”
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz thinks he’s the sharpshooter the Sixers need
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (left) shoots during a game between against Rutgers.
The 76ers’ season ended with a four-game sweep against the eventual champion New York Knicks.
After the two teams had battled in a first-round series two years earlier, the expectation was that the Sixers would give the Knicks a tough test just like the Atlanta Hawks had in this year’s postseason.
Not quite. The Sixers looked like they gave all they had to comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics, and the most obvious sign of that came at the three-point line.
The Sixers shot 31.3% for the series while New York knocked down a blistering 44.8% from deep. And the Sixers’ principal players — Tyrese Maxey (15.8%), VJ Edgecombe (26.1%), and Joel Embiid (25%) — struggled to find their legs. Only Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul George consistently hit open looks.
Players in this year’s draft were at home watching the postseason and gathering where they might fit with NBA teams. And Iowa sharpshooter Bennett Stirtz saw a clear need for the Sixers, one previously filled by Jared McCain before he was traded at the previous deadline.
“With that series, kind of release pressure off Tyrese and VJ because I can play off the ball, I can play on the ball,” Stirtz said. “I create space out there on the floor. I just think every team needs another ballhandler and shooter.”
The interest is mutual as the Sixers interviewed Stirtz twice during the draft process. The Sixers pick at No. 22, however, and there’s a chance he could go sooner after averaging 19.8 points and shooting 35.8% from three in one season at Iowa. Prior to that, he similar success at Drake after transferring up from Division II Northwest Missouri State.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. could be the “best point guard in the draft” according to Fran Fraschilla.
NEW YORK – Who are some sleeper prospects who could be in the range for the Sixers to draft at 22?
That topic was posed to a panel of basketball experts — ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, and Fran Fraschilla — on Monday afternoon at the Lotte New York Palace hotel.
Marks, the former general manager of the New Jersey Nets, first mentioned Alabama guard Labaron Philon. Marks said he appreciated that, after declaring for last year’s draft, Philon returned to college to use the feedback he had received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. Bilas and Fraschilla agreed with that choice, but noted Philon may still go off the board in the lottery.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said of Philon.
Fraschilla also highlighted Baylor’s Cam Carr, whom he called “maybe the best athlete in the draft.” Bilas mentioned Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz’s shooting and ability to play in the pick and roll, comparing him to former Sixer Kyle Korver. NBC play-by-play broadcaster John Fanta, who hosted the panel, mentioned Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., saying, “If he’s still there, man, snatch him. Upside is there.”
“Cenac has been an exceptionally difficult prospect to find a home for. The consensus seems to be that he’s going to go somewhere in the top 20, and he was among the second batch of players invited to the green room. However, the feedback I get from teams is that he’s more like a late first-rounder. He’s seen as a high-upside swing for teams that can afford to be patient and wait for him to improve his feel for the game.
The 76ers need another big, and Cenac could potentially slide to the four at times if his feel for the game improves. But he is more of a project than some of the other players the 76ers could take. This is a very difficult team to mock right now, as sources around the league are still trying to figure out what new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey’s type will be.
“Okorie has put himself firmly in the first round after going through a wide range of workouts, drawing looks as high as the teens and earning a green room invitation. Some teams love his elusiveness off the dribble and scoring ability, but there are concerns about his size. Whether he can jump Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon Jr. or Bennett Stirtz in the point guard hierarchy remains to be seen, but he’s in the conversation.
The 76ers brought in a range of candidates for this pick last week and can go best-available at this spot in new president Mike Gansey’s first draft at the helm. Finding an immediate contributor at this spot would be a win, with much of Philadelphia’s salary structure tied up in Joel Embiid and Paul George, and cultivating depth behind them is likely a priority.”
“The Sixers are in the unique situation of having a dominant center who likes to score near the rim sometimes and doesn’t have an appetite for the grittier work in the paint. So I get the sense that they are looking for a convergence of exceptional physicality, the ability to create offense in the paint and near the rim, and skill and versatility at the 4. Luckily, there are a number of candidates who can help them with that at this stage of the draft. Peat has an unusual cross section of lateral quickness and brute strength on the defensive end, and he’s also a pretty terrific passer once he’s caught the ball on the move inside the arc. “
North Carolina center Henri Veesaar
Henri Veesaar, center, North Carolina (Yahoo! Sports)
“Finding a center to play behind Joel Embiid needs to be prioritized. Embiid simply cannot be trusted to stay on the floor. Veesaar is an agile big with real shooting touch, connective playmaking, and baseline big skills with the ability to set screens and catch lobs. He also offers rim protection and is a locked-in help defender. He could even play next to Embiid. In all three of his collegiate seasons, he made a massive leap in production each year. The Sixers would need that ascent to continue.”
What can the Sixers expect with the No. 22 draft pick?
Sixers star Tyrese Maxey was selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Tyrese Maxey is a prime example of the caliber of player a team could snag in the early 20s of the NBA draft.
But Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ newly promoted executive vice president of basketball operations, also was quick to note that Maxey is the exception, not the rule.
“We got lucky with the person,” Nelson recently said of Maxey, the All-NBA point guard whom the Sixers drafted 21st in 2020. “We got lucky with the player.”
The Sixers are in a similar spot this year, holding the No. 22 overall pick entering Tuesday’s first round. It has been a sped-up process for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was formally introduced last week after spearheading the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager.
To further illustrate the uncertainty that comes with selecting at this point in the draft, here’s a look back at pick Nos. 21 through 23 the last five years. It offers a collection of success stories, and players who have since fallen out of the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.
Their interests are officially aligned — and the Heat finally have another superstar.
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.
The terms, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had yet to receive the required league approval: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Milwaukee also gets the No. 13 selection that will be made in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, along with a first-round pick swap in 2030, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and a second-rounder in 2033, the person said.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, was on the NBA’s 75th anniversary list of its greatest players ever, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he averaged 27.6 points per game.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 06/23/26 7:47am
2026 NBA Draft: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
Kevin Negandhi, a Phoenixville native, is back covering the NBA draft.
The NBA draft begins Wednesday, and for the third straight year it will be divided over two days.
The first round of the draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, while the second round will take place on Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.
For the sixth straight year, fans will have their choice of watching the first round of draft on two different networks — ABC and ESPN.
Over on ESPN, Malika Andrews will host alongside analysts Jay Bilas, Tim Legler, Andraya Carter, and front office insider Bobby Marks. The broadcast will also feature news-breaker Shams Charania and King of Prussia native Lisa Salters reporting from the Barclay Center.
One name not mentioned in ESPN’s coverage plans? First Take host and former Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith, who was part of the network’s ABC broadcast with Negandhi last year.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft:
The Sixers enter Tuesday with the No. 22 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, but no second-round pick.
The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick, and they’re expected to take either BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
The last time the Wizards has the top pick was 2010, when they took Kentucky’s John Wall, whose career was slowed by a series of injuries.
As for the No. 13 pick, it belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but it will need to be made by the Miami Heat because the deal won’t be official until early July after the start of a new cap year. Ah, the NBA.
NEW YORK — Dailyn Swain posted a photo of the Philly skyline on his Instagram story last week.
The Texas wing was in town for a predraft workout with the Sixers and “the city was alive,” Swain recalled, because his visit coincided with Friday’s World Cup match between Brazil and Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field.
Swain has since joined several fellow first-round prospects at a luxury New York City hotel for the final stretch before being selected Tuesday night at Barclays Center. He is still among the possibilities to be chosen by the Sixers, who enter Tuesday with the 22nd overall pick in a loaded draft and new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey at the helm.
“I’m very emotional,” Swain said. “I know once I hear my name, it’s going to be a surreal feeling … I’m trying to enjoy the moment.”
This draft class is packed with top-level talent — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer are all worthy of the No. 1 pick, experts say — as well as depth throughout the first round. That means interesting options should be available, at all position groups, if the Sixers remain at 22.
It is the first roster-building move for Gansey, whom the Sixers hired earlier this month to oversee daily front-office operations for a team that finished seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, stormed back to upset the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round, then were swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.
Though Gansey joined the Sixers’ draft preparation late, he ran that process in his previous job as general manager for a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise that was scouting for this year’s 29th pick. When asked during his introductory news conference about his overall draft philosophy, Gansey said the Sixers will make their selection based on a combination of best player available and fit.
Mike Gansey will handle his first big decisions as Sixers president of basketball operations during Tuesday’s draft.
The Sixers held in-person workouts in Philly last Tuesday and Friday. Versatile Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Duke sharpshooter Isaiah Evans confirmed Monday that they were among the participants, while a source confirmed to The Inquirer that Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., also was in attendance. Physical forwards Koa Peat of Arizona and Zuby Ejiofor of St. John’s also were reportedly part of those workouts. Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz said Monday that he has had two interviews with the Sixers.
So Monday became a quest to mine the tiniest tidbits from those prospects in media scrums. Evans said his workout with the Sixers was with Swain, and that current Sixers VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards also were in the gym. Graves praised the Sixers’ “amazing” facilities in Camden. Stirtz said that, while watching the playoffs, he recognized how he could “release pressure” off standout guards Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe with his outside shooting.
“I create space out there on the floor,” said Stirtz, who is projected to go a bit higher than 22nd. “Every team needs another ballhandler and shooter.”
Gansey kept some continuity within the Sixers’ front office — including the recently promoted Jameer Nelson — that has executed successful recent drafts. It picked Maxey 21st in 2020, and Jared McCain 16th and Adem Bona in the second round in 2024. Even Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe, and Julian Champagne, who have gone on to succeed with other playoff teams, were either selected in the second round or signed as an undrafted free agent. In 2023, the Sixers traded the 23rd overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard DeAnthony Melton, a key role player for two seasons when healthy.
“I’m excited to learn from them,” Gansey said of the remaining front office, “and, obviously, put my vision and put my imprint on the draft. … and try to get the best person and player for the Sixers.”
As of Monday night, the Sixers do not have a pick in Wednesday’s second round. Yet what they do Tuesday will help dictate how they approach free agency, which begins the evening of June 30. Starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve big man Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. And the Sixers have limited financial flexibility with Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George on max contracts for multiple seasons.
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are among a long list of recent draft successes for a team that didn’t draft well historically.
For the prospects assembled Monday in New York City, however, the wait for their NBA destination is almost over. Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who spent his teenage years in Pennsauken and is projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round, half-jokingly called these final hours “really, really awful.”
“I’m feeling emotion in the book,” he said Monday. “But I’m getting very impatient, in a way. I want to know where I’m going.”
The same likely could be said for the Sixers, now beginning the Gansey era with the 22nd overall pick.
MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.
And the Heat finally have another superstar.
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.
The terms, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move has yet to receive the required league approval: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis. Milwaukee also gets at least four picks, including the No. 13 selection that will be made in Tuesday night’s NBA draft.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Bucks.
It ends a wild back-and-forth in the final days of the saga, with the Bucks considering offers from both Miami and Boston for Antetokounmpo — who led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, was on the NBA’s 75th anniversary list of its greatest players ever, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season where he averaged 27.6 points per game.
There has been no secret that this is what Miami has sought, because this is what Miami usually seeks. The Heat pulled off similar moves by landing Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 (helping lead to the 2006 NBA title) and by getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade in 2010 (leading to four NBA Finals runs in four seasons together, along with the 2012 and 2013 NBA titles).
Now, it’s Antetokounmpo’s turn. At 31, the Heat clearly believe he still has many good years left — and it’s generally presumed that by making this deal they’ll give the Greek superstar a massive extension later this year.
The tale of the tape is no tale at all for Mike Gansey and Bob Myers. The last month-and-a-half has yielded about 60 minutes of on-the-record comments from the Sixers’ new personnel regime and about zero seconds of actual insight into their immediate plans for the roster.
Perhaps there is some gamesmanship involved. In a world where information is currency, the first goal is to keep your competition in the red. More likely, the Sixers realize that they need to be in read-and-react mode.
“These answers are not simple,” Myers said last month after the Sixers announced the hiring of Gansey as their new president of basketball operations. “You wake up in the middle of the night thinking about these things. And when you get fortunate enough to win, it’s all that work and toil that make it worth it.
Bob Myers, president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, says that right now the moves being made within the Sixers organization need to be methodical ones.
“But there’s nothing more challenging than winning. You can’t buy championships. You have to go through it together. Each decision you make, each transaction you make, is hopefully moving in that direction. But that’s why you do it. That’s what makes it fun.”
The Sixers’ lack of clarity about their short-term direction has added a layer of intrigue to Tuesday night’s draft. Most years, the No. 22 pick wouldn’t be a major plot point in the trajectory of a roster. The last three players drafted at No. 22 overall have combined to play 116 games in their six NBA seasons. This is not the range where a team expects to draft a future playoff rotation player, let alone a star.
This year’s draft is better than most. Maybe not to the extent the experts once projected, especially given the lack of a clear No. 1 between BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, and Duke’s Cameron Boozer. But the draft is clearly deep, with Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. projected to go toward the back end of the Top 15, and for Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach to go even later than that.
Johnson is exactly what the Sixers need at the wing right now, so much so that they would have to think long and hard if presented with an opportunity to move aggressively up the draft board.
Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. is a player who would fit the Sixers’ scheme. But would the team consider moving up to get him?
Cenac and Steinbach both have the potential to become such a player, though both could be gone by the time the Sixers pick at No. 22. More likely to be there is St. John’s wrecking ball Zuby Ejiofor, who would be perfect for the team the Sixers hope to become, at the expense of some ceiling.
The big question is the one that Gansey and Myers have both avoided thus far.
What is the timeline?
What is the three-year plan?
“I don’t look at it as a timeline,” Gansey said. “I just look at it like we have those four, and we [have] got to maximize those four. Obviously, VJ [Edgecombe] and Tyrese [Maxey] are younger, but Paul [George] and Joel [Embiid] can still play at a high level … Like, we gotta rely on those four, and obviously keep on the floor, and then just build around them.”
Your interpretation of that comment hinges on your interpretation of one word.
Build.
When Daryl Morey acquired a first-round pick from the Thunder as part of a package for second-year guard Jared McCain, he acknowledged that he did not make the trade with the thought that the Sixers would hold onto the pick long enough to use it. Even Morey, who once upon a time drafted Maxey at No. 21, understood that the No. 22 overall pick is typically more valuable as a trade chip than as a building block.
The one-two punch of Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (left) and Tyrese Maxey is a duo that Mike Gansey and the Sixers can build around for the future.
In 2022, the former Sixers president traded the No. 23 pick to the Grizzlies (in the form of David Roddy) for fifth-year guard De’Anthony Melton. Three years later, Melton signed as a free agent with Golden State, and Roddy ended up playing a few games with the Sixers on a 10-day contract after having been traded by the Grizzlies and later waived by the Hawks.
Is there a world where the Sixers “build” for next year rather than taking their chances at No. 22?
A lot could depend on what unfolds across the NBA over the next few weeks. We could be on the verge of an arms race that can create plenty of interesting opportunities for wise teams searching for value.
There’s a belief that Milwaukee star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (center) could be trade bait this offseason.
One superstar — the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo — is almost certain to be traded. A second — the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown — has generated enough smoke to conclude that a deal is possible. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and the Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving are potentially in play. So are younger building blocks like the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III. After a relatively tepid couple of offseasons, the circus is rolling back into town.
All of this would be true even without the competitive pressures that should exacerbate and expedite this summer’s decision-making. As it happens, those pressures are at an all-time boil. The Knicks just rattled off one of the great postseason runs in NBA history. The Spurs and the Thunder are both well-positioned to consolidate their talent and make a major move.
Each is aware that a major move by the other could reduce them to the Harden-era, second-ran Rockets. Both would be wise to get ahead of the curve, like the Knicks did with OG Anunoby, and then Mikal Bridges, and then Karl-Anthony Towns. Both will be drafting ahead of the Sixers, the Thunder twice (at No. 12 and No. 17).
Zuby Ejiofor fits the mold of a player the Sixers could benefit from. If he’s still on the board with the No. 22 pick, the Sixers should strongly consider using their pick.
There’s a sense that the Sixers will likely need to play it straight and to make the best of what is there at No. 22. In which case, we should consider some of the keywords that Gansey and Myers both used when describing their vision, as abstract as it was.
Character. Work ethic. Competitiveness. Accountability. Teamwork. Identity. Culture. Rebounding.
“I want fountains, not drains,” Gansey said.
Ejiofor checks off a lot of those boxes. He navigates the court like a linebacker in pass coverage. He rebounds and relocates and screens and drops like a man who just wants to win. He has the makings of a jump shot, the footwork of a seasoned pro, and the quick-twitch bounce of a guy who is more wing than big.
If he is there at No. 22, Gansey shouldn’t hesitate, whatever the mock drafts say.
The 76ers’ offseason is about to ramp up, with the NBA draft next week and free agency beginning at 6 p.m. on June 30.
These are the first opportunities for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey to make roster decisions — within the constraints of having three players (Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George) still on max contracts.
That means there is a lot to ponder and discuss. And you brought questions.
Let’s get to them.
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves could be one of the players the Sixers consider picking at No. 22 in next week’s draft.
Q: From @davesoup on Bluesky: “Draft question. Biggest need? Best available? Chances they pick someone as good as [Jared] McCain?”
A: This is a great place to start. Based on Gansey’s vague comments at his introductory news conference, the Sixers will aim for a combination of both with the 22nd overall pick. It’s cliche, but also makes sense in that range. I’m perhaps most intrigued by the options at center and power forward — think Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. or Santa Clara’s Allen Graves — though a wing could make sense if the Sixers’ front office believes they are in danger of losing Kelly Oubre Jr. and/or Quentin Grimes in free agency. So could a guard — yes, again — if they can provide a three-point shooting boost.
The Sixers absolutely could find somebody as good as McCain, given Maxey went even lower at 21 in the bizarre COVID-impacted 2020 draft. But as recent drafts illustrate, picking here is always a crapshoot. Who the Sixers select next week, however, will likely help determine free agency priorities.
Q: From @marc_almond on X: “Any chance the Sixers trade up their pick, since the draft is very open at their current spot?”
A: There’s always a chance, especially if the front office falls in love with a specific prospect during this week’s workouts. But right now it feels more likely that a good option could slip to 22, rather than the Sixers aggressively trying to move up. Gansey’s general draft approach also still comes with some uncertainty. He ran the draft with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was not in the higher-ranking position that he holds with a new organization.
The Sixers and Joel Embiid are optimistic about his long-term health.
Q: From @cornerblight on Bluesky: “Do you think they are keeping Embiid?”
A: Never say never, given Luka Dončić was abruptly traded on a January Saturday night in the middle of his prime. But, putting it bluntly, Embiid’s contract is regarded as extremely difficult to trade given his age and injury history. If you were a fan of another team, would you be interested in trading for Embiid?
For now, the Sixers have to accept Embiid’s optimism that he and the medical/training staff have figured out how to manage his knee. He has no surgeries scheduled and plans to play more next season. That, of course, does not prevent the freak injuries like the oblique strain that kept him out for a month, or the ankle sprain and hip soreness that sidelined him for Game 2 of the playoff series against the New York Knicks, or the other random ailments like orbital fractures and Bell’s Palsy that have hampered postseason runs. One guarantee: He no longer has an appendix, and therefore will not need another emergency appendectomy.
The Sixers flashed what they could be with Embiid and George during that playoff comeback in the first round against the Boston Celtics. Gansey said he must operate (at least for now) as if he is building a roster with the core four of those three max players, plus VJ Edgecombe. And they all must cross their fingers for health, and that health leads to continuity.
Q: From @johnmlatimer on Bluesky: “I think the Spurs should have done the Two Tower thing more with Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] and [Luke] Kornet. And I think that would be a good option for Sixers to maximize and protect Embiid. Thoughts? Is [Adem] Bona that guy? If not him, who?
A: Solid observation. The Sixers have already dabbled in this, even going back to a preseason scrimmage in Delaware. And Bona has vocalized his eagerness to play in those lineups, as an additional way to get on the floor long-term.
The Sixers could use Bona’s athleticism, particularly as a defender, given Embiid clearly is not as mobile and vertical as the once-dominant player used to be. Bona’s limited offensive repertoire, in turn, is balanced by Embiid’s excellent skills for his size in the mid-post and perimeter. And that all helps fill the void at power forward.
Embiid did not play enough during the regular season to really experiment with this lineup for significant stretches. I’d imagine it is something Nick Nurse and the coaching staff are examining this summer.
Tyrese Maxey is a franchise cornerstone for a Sixers team trying to contend for a championship with three max contract players.
Q: From @realstuartl on X: “With Rich Paul as his agent, would Maxey really play the next few years in a rebuilding situation, if they did somehow get rid of Embiid and George?”
A: First, Maxey has never publicly expressed anything resembling disgruntlement or wanting out if the Sixers make the type of pivot you are suggesting.
I think it greatly helps the Sixers that Maxey legitimately believes in Edgecombe and has immediately established an on- and off-court connection and mentorship with him. I also think Maxey understands his unique situation: that he was drafted to an immediately competitive team with an MVP contender, instead of trudging through a rebuild like so many star-caliber young players do early in their careers. That now has made Maxey a tweener, of sorts, on this roster between Embiid/George and Edgecombe — and bridging that during a transitional period always felt like a possibility. Heck, Maxey has already been part of several iterations of this team, from Embiid-Ben Simmons, to Embiid-James Harden, to the most recent version.
Maxey, though, is also fiercely competitive. He also has already done right by the organization in waiting a year to sign his max contract, so that the Sixers could have a smaller cap hold on him and also sign George. In the current NBA landscape, partnerships between players and teams run their course more times than not (see Giannis Antetokounmpo). But right now, Maxey is a franchise cornerstone.
Q: From @jesuszoidberg on Bluesky: “In today’s NBA playoffs, is it possible to win a title if your best player is a post 30 year old big man, even not taking into the account the injuries?”
A: Just throwing this out there: A month ago, one could have asked if it was possible to win a title if that team’s best player was a small, ball-dominant guard who was a second-round draft pick and did not even make the All-NBA first-team this season.
(This is Jalen Brunson, of course.)
A team almost certainly needs a certified dude to win a championship. But getting the right players around that dude — whatever archetype they fill in regards to physical stature, skills, or intangibles — is the biggest key to building the correct team. And I do think that, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement’s constraints, the star collecting method might be phasing out in place of compiling depth at the right spots. That is something Bob Myers mentioned during his news conference before the executive search that landed on Gansey.
Join Gina Mizell and ESPN NBA draft expert Jeremy Woo for a special edition of Gameday Central as they break down the latest Sixers draft rumors, top prospects, and the key decisions facing Philadelphia this offseason. Watch here.
Seth Friedman was watching the NBA Finals on Saturday night in Graduate Hospital when he heard a familiar refrain.
It came from Leon Rose, the mild-mannered architect of the New York Knicks. His team had just won its first title since 1973.
Rose, 65, was asked how he felt knowing he’d built a roster that had ended a 53-year-drought. The Knicks president shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and pivoted to his players.
He praised their brotherhood, their grit, their empathy. He talked about their care for one another, and their selflessness, and how it allowed them to reach new heights.
Friedman, sitting on his couch next to his wife, began to tear up.
“It sounded like he was talking to us,” he said, “back when we were 13 or 14 years old.”
The setting was vastly different. Instead of holding two-a-days for high schoolers, Rose was standing on a platform in San Antonio, Texas, with a sparkling trophy beside him.
But the message was nearly identical. Friedman listened to it himself when he played for Rose in the mid-2000s at his local Jewish community center.
“He literally preached that same mentality,” Friedman said. “That family mentality.”
Leon Rose coaching at the Katz JCC in 2005. Seth Friedman is pictured in the bottom row, second from the right.
For decades, the future Knicks president was a mainstay in his Cherry Hill basketball community. He played under head coach John Valore at Cherry Hill East from 1975 to 1979 and joined Valore’s staff in the early 1980s while studying atTemple’s law school.
He moved on to work as an assistant coach through the late 1980s at Rutgers-Camden, a short commute from his day job at the Camden County prosecutor’s office.
He’d leave collegiate coaching in 1988, but Rose would always find time for the sport, even as he ascended the ranks of the NBA. In the 1990s, while he transitioned to sports management, Rose often could be found playing pickup hoops at the Katz JCC in Cherry Hill.
By the mid 2000s, he’d assembled a Rolodex of star-studded clients, including Allen Iverson and LeBron James. But that didn’t keep him away from the gym. For the better part of a decade, Rose served as a volunteer coach at the Katz JCC, preparing teams to compete in the Maccabi Games.
The Knicks executive has achieved a lot since then. But those who know him best say he is the same understated guy who’d wear baggy sweatshirts and run his team through tap drills and sprints.
“He was Coach Leon,” Friedman said. “He was one of us. Even now, you see him down the Shore, and you’d never know that he’s the person that he is.”
New York Knicks Leon Rose (left) hugs guard Jalen Brunson (11) as they leave the court following a Game 6 win against the Pistons in the 2025 playoffs.
‘A gym rat’
Valore met Rose in 1975 when he was coaching junior varsity at Cherry Hill East. The freshman was undersized compared to his teammates, but he played above his stature.
If there was a loose ball, the point guard would dive for it. If there was a charge, he would take it. Valore admired his toughness. So when he got the varsity job in 1976-77, he decided to bring Rose with him.
The sophomore made the most of his opportunity. Cherry Hill East was a relatively new program at the time and largely was viewed as a “doormat,” in Valore’s words. Rose helped change that, building an unselfish culture from the ground up.
He wasn’t a vocal leader, but he showed interpersonal skills that would serve him later on. The future NBA executive was direct and honest. He could have difficult conversations with teammates if he needed to about roles and behavior on and off the court.
Rose also set a standard through his style of play. Cherry Hill East was up against stiff competition in South Jersey from teams like Camden and Haddon Heights, which boasted players who were 6-foot-2, 6-3.
The point guard was unafraid to battle them.
“He was a player that had to compete harder and tougher than the person he competed against,” Valore said, “because he was 5-7, 5-8, 5-9. That shows you the toughness he had within him.”
Leon Rose at Cherry Hill East.
Cherry Hill East’s culture quickly translated into wins. When Rose arrived, the varsity team finished just above .500. By the time he graduated, it was one of the best teams in its conference.
But above all, Valore was most impressed by his pupil’s character. During a practice in 1979, the coach called his co-captain over. Valore’s wife, Joyce, had just given birth to their first child, J.C.
The coach wanted Rose to be the boy’s godfather.
“[Leon] was 17 years old,” he said, “and I saw everything I wanted to see. He was an exceptional person with relating to other people. He was something special.
“He went back to his dad and explained the situation, and his dad gave the thumbs-up. And the rest is history.”
After a few years studying and playing basketball at Dickinson College, Rose rejoined his high school team as an assistant coach in 1983. The 22-year-old was just as impactful on the bench as he’d been as a point guard.
Over Rose’s three seasons with Cherry Hill East, the program produced four Division I players. One of those four, Nick Katsikis, ended up contributing to Seton Hall’s run to the 1989 NCAA championship game.
Valore can see similarities in what Rose accomplished with the Knicks. When the agent was hired by James Dolan in 2020, the team was en route to its seventh straight losing season; “a doormat,” just like Cherry Hill East.
Then Rose came along, and everything changed.
“He was a gym rat,” Valore said. “He just loved the game.”
Leon Rose coaching for the Katz JCC in 2004. Ed Vernick is pictured on the far right.
From Maccabi gold to an NBA title
Ed Vernick moved from Philadelphia to South Jersey in the early 1980s, the same time Rose was coaching with Valore.
Unsurprisingly, the men became friends at the gym. Vernick was about to go on a trip to Ocean City and wanted a good place to work out. Rose overheard him talking, ripped off a piece of paper, and scribbled down an address.
Vernick had no idea who the young lawyer was, but he took him up on his suggestion. A few days later, while he was running on a treadmill in that Ocean City gym, he saw Rose walking by.
“He goes, ‘I just wanted to make sure you got here,’” Vernick said. “What a nice guy. I’m thinking, ‘Who does that?’ It was just one of those things that caught me.”
About two decades later, when Rose was starting to coach basketball at the Katz JCC, he asked Vernick to be his assistant. Together, they spent the summer of 2004 preparing Cherry Hill-area kids for the Maccabi Games, a youth athletic competition for Jewish athletes from all over the world.
Parents and players said Rose took this as seriously as the NBA Finals. He’d carefully craft his rosters, thinking hard about how each piece would fit.
Once the team was constructed, he’d spend July running them into the ground with many of the methods Valore used at Cherry Hill East: switch drills, sprints, tap drills.
Leon Rose coaching at the Katz JCC in 2005.
The week before the Games was by far the toughest. Players would be required to train twice a day and would arrive at the gym at 6:30 a.m. and return at 2 p.m.
“He got into us,” Friedman said. “But it got us ready. It got us prepared. It got us in shape. I hated it during it, but, looking back, those were memories I’ll never forget.”
This was a major time investment for one of the most high-powered agents in the NBA, but Rose was deeply involved. He continued to coach before and after his son, Sam, and daughter, Brooke, were eligible to play.
And he went far beyond what was expected of a volunteer. One year, Friedman said Rose took the team up to the Poconos for an exhibition game at Pine Forest Camp, which was known for its basketball program.
“He’s driving us up to play an exhibition game like it’s an NBA team,” Friedman said. “He didn’t have to do that as a coach. But he did whatever he could to get us prepped and ready to win a gold medal.”
About “80% of the team” came from Cherry Hill East, in Vernick’s estimation, and Rose often would be on the phone with Valore, asking about certain players.
Like his former coach, Rose gravitated toward toughness, and that style emanated from the teams he built. In 2004, South Jersey’s 16-and-under Maccabi team faced Washington, D.C., for the gold medal.
Leon Rose (in 2006) made his name as a superagent to the likes of Allen Iverson and LeBron James, but he did not flaunt that status to his young players.
It was a low-scoring game, one that came down to the buzzer. Washington was bigger and more talented, but Rose’s group challenged every bucket.
“I remember I could hear sneakers squeaking the whole game,” Vernick said, “and I just smiled. And I thought, ‘This is the way you play defense.’”
South Jersey fell, 42-40, but it won gold the following year in Minneapolis.
Rose spent six summers coaching at the JCC throughout the 2000s, winning two gold and two silver medals. He looked and acted like any other coach, donning Cherry Hill East basketball gear and sweatpants.
He rarely — if ever — talked about who he represented, or what he did for work, but the players occasionally got a glimpse.
When Friedman was a senior at Cherry Hill East, Rose arranged a surprise for his alma mater.
It was March 2010. The Cleveland Cavaliers were in town. After practice, their coach swung by to talk to the high school basketball team and answer any questions they might have.
It ended up being the coach who would lead the Knicks to a championship 16 years later.
“He had Mike Brown come over,” Valore said. “He was fantastic. Off the cuff, not scripted. He gave a wonderful speech to the kids.”
John Valore (left) and Zev Rose before a Knicks game in the early part of their 2026 playoff run.
Cherry Hill at the Garden
Rose and his family now live in New York, but they’re never too far from Cherry Hill. His 88-year-old father, Zev, still resides in the area, and is a regular at the Katz JCC.
Every once in a while, his son will send a limo to drive him and the 81-year-old Valore to Madison Square Garden. They were in the building for Game 4, sitting near the team president.
At first, it looked bleak for New York. The Knicks fell behind early and trailed by 29 points in the third quarter. But they came storming back in the fourth and completed the comeback on an OG Anunoby tip-in.
Inside the visitors’ locker room in Washington earlier this month, VJ Edgecombe slid over to join Tyrese Maxey for a joint postgame interview.
Six minutes of banter, inside jokes, and genuine comments ensued between the 76ers guards. Maxey scanned a box score from the Sixers’ dominant victory over the Wizards and asked Edgecombe, with pseudo exasperation, “Bro, you only had one defensive rebound? How is that possible?” Edgecombe interjected during a Maxey answer about teammates who had scored 30 points off the bench this season, because the veteran had forgotten Justin Edwards and former Sixer Cameron Payne. And Maxey dropped that Edgecombe had started calling himself “PG1,” because he had 10 assists that night.
“Just trying to make life easier for my dog right here,” Edgecombe said of Maxey. “They be hounding him. Guarding him full-court. Face guarding him. Doing all type of things. They trying their best to stop him, and they can’t, really.”
The scene was evidence of how Maxey and Edgecombe can be playful in one moment, then candidly hold each other accountable in the next, then sincere about their partnership in the next. They are similarly wired: tenaciously hardworking and poised for their age, yet unafraid to let their personalities crack through their seriousness about their craft.
Now the Sixers’ electric backcourt — which we can officially dub “VJ Maxx” thanks to their collaboration with clothing store TJ Maxx for their outfits for Sunday’s regular-season finale — are about to step into the postseason together for the first time. Joel Embiid, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, remains out while recovering from last week’s emergency appendectomy. Paul George, at 35 years old, must now be characterized as a complementary player who recently returned from a 25-game NBA suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
Maxey and Edgecombe have fueled this Sixers season, as the All-NBA contender and first-year player likely to finish third on an exceptional Rookie of the Year ballot. The Sixers likely will go as far as the pair can lead them, starting with Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament matchup against the Orlando Magic (7:30 p.m., Prime Video). And it marks another move into the Sixers’ future that has already been percolating, with Maxey and Edgecombe creating the core duo around whom the franchise should build.
“We have this chip on our shoulder, I think,” Maxey said. “We’re competitive and we want to win. He don’t care about nothing but winning. He don’t care about his points. He don’t care about his stats. All he care about is winning, and it’s evident in his play, so that’s why we get along.”
Added Edgecombe: “[He’s] one of the best players in the NBA. … My goal is to be that, to be a superstar. So it’s helping me to know the right steps and everything it takes in how to do that.”
Maxey and Edgecombe were initially linked because of, as Maxey called it, the Sixers’ “very, very, very, very bad” 2024-25 season — plus fabulous draft lottery luck to land the third overall pick.
Before the Sixers chose Edgecombe, Maxey remembered seeing clips of him dunking on “the kid from Gonzaga” (Joe Few) and talking trash while playing with former Sixer Buddy Hield with the Bahamian national team. Edgecombe, who is such a film junkie that he watched Maxey’s high school footage, was impressed with his quickness and skill.
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe will serve as the core of the franchise in the future.
They first met when Maxey stopped by the Sixers’ facility during Edgecombe’s predraft workout. They had a casual get-to-know-you conversation that day, before Maxey called to welcome him to the Sixers on draft night.
When Maxey shared that his offseason workouts begin at 6 a.m., and Edgecombe committed to joining and then actually showed up, Maxey knew they were a basketball match.
“And he’s smiling, too,” Maxey recently recalled to The Inquirer. “But he’s a tough kid, and I feel like I’m tough, as well.”
The summer training sessions continued in Philly and Los Angeles, with a side quest to Disneyland during which Maxey forced Edgecombe to wear a Goofy hat. When Maxey peeked his head through a curtain to say, “Hey, buddy” during Edgecombe’s media day news conference, it was clear they had established a foundational bond.
As the season approached, Maxey was ready for another leap into stardom. Coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, had no hesitation about immediately putting Edgecombe in the starting lineup. They possessed the explosive speed and athleticism to push the pace, attack the rim, and make defensive plays on the ball.
“If me and him are running,” Edgecombe recently told The Inquirer, “I think we’re hard to stop.”
Like in the Sixers’ opener at the Boston Celtics, when Maxey dropped 40 points and Edgecombe had 34 in a historic rookie debut. Or in December, when Edgecombe got into position to collect a short Maxey jumper for a go-ahead putback against the Golden State Warriors, just before Maxey raced to the other end for a game-clinching block at the buzzer. Or a couple weeks after that, when Maxey dished to Edgecombe for the game-winning three-pointer to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime.
Maxey ascended into a top-5 scorer in the NBA (28.3 points per game) and the league leader in minutes played per game (38), while also averaging 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. Edgecombe demonstrated an all-around game — he finished the season averaging 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in 75 games — and a knack for those crunch-time buckets.
In mid-February, they took the cross-country trip to Los Angeles to represent the Sixers at All-Star Weekend. Maxey sat courtside as Edgecombe won Rising Stars MVP, before helping his team of younger U.S. players win the Sunday tournament.
“He ain’t coming to watch it if I ain’t going to play hard,” Edgecombe said after the Rising Stars event. “ … I didn’t want to waste his time. I know he has a whole lot of stuff he could probably be doing.”
In between that on-court success, there were signals of their deepening rapport.
They flashed coordinated dance moves during pregame introductions and postgame interviews. When Edgecombe deadpanned in February that he rated a wicked Maxey dunk on Minnesota star Anthony Edwards a “6 out of 10,” a flabbergasted Maxey responded with, “He can’t even dunk on people, and he gave me a 6 out of 10?!”
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe build their bond over summer and preseason workouts.
Cameras also caught a heated exchange between the two players during a January loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, when both thought they were supposed to pick up the ballhandler. Maxey did not realize the moment had blown up online until his father, Tyrone, called and asked, “Hey, you and VJ good?”
“Everybody thought we was mad at each other,” Maxey said later. “That’s competitive nature. We can talk that out. We was just fine right after. … That’s my little brother.”
Added Edgecombe: “We’re hard on each other, and then we also understand. … Every time he has something to say, I know it’s always coming from a place of love.”
Nurse sees Maxey passing his early-career experiences on to Edgecombe. The most valuable, the rookie says, is observing the consistency with which Maxey has carried himself throughout the season.
Maxey, meanwhile, already views Edgecombe in a role similar to his third season — aka, “we need him.” And though Edgecombe has occasionally gotten “lost in the sauce” scoring-wise, Maxey is proud of how the rookie has shifted into multiple roles.
That was especially true last month, when the Sixers were missing four starters, including Maxey. That pushed Edgecombe into the lead ballhandler and top scoring option, and into encountering double-teams for the first time “that I can remember,” he said. Maxey, naturally, became a source of advice.
“I told him that I hate it,” Edgecombe said following a March 14 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “But it’s a sign of respect. I’m going to ask him [how to combat it]. … But that just shows how good Tyrese is, also. I’ve just got to keep asking questions [and] try to figure out how to get through everything.”
Added George: “Tyrese is giving [Edgecombe] a ton of confidence … and I think it’s showing. When he’s on the court, it’s almost like he’s been here before.”
As the Sixers went down the stretch of the regular season, former coach Doc Rivers said he believes playing alongside Edgecombe has helped Maxey improve his defense. On fan appreciation night last week, the giveaway was a “Rookie Jam” T-shirt featuring Maxey and Edgecombe’s faces and video game-style ratings for various skills. San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson took a question about Edgecombe before last week’s matchup against the Sixers, and immediately tied him to Maxey.
“It seems like he likes competing, and he and Maxey share that sentiment from afar,” Johnson said. “To have that in two young men, for a franchise with that amount of talent and, it feels like, character … that’s a really good source [for] your main characters involved in your program.”
When asked where Edgecombe has most helped him this season, Maxey grinned and said, “He keeps me happy.” Maxey appreciates now being the veteran on the receiving end of the type of energy boost he knows he has provided to Embiid and former Sixers guard James Harden over the years. And though Maxey has shared a bit with Edgecombe about what to expect from the postseason, that demeanor is why “he’s the least of my worries.”
Prior to Sunday’s regular-season finale, Nurse said he believes the Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt is “still unfolding.” As Edgecombe stepped into a media scrum to face questions about Wednesday’s play-in game against Orlando, he wore Gucci sunglasses to complement his TJ Maxx sweater, tie, and slacks. From across the room, Maxey yelled Edgecombe looked “clean as hell” and that he “ain’t a rookie no more.”
“Playoff Valdez,” Maxey said, dropping Edgecombe’s full first name.
Next, they will step into their first postseason together. And, perhaps, into the Sixers’ future.
“Just to be his running mate,” Edgecombe said. “As the years go on, I want us to go down in history.”
The Sixers overcame a 15-point deficit to win a critical game on the road in Charlotte.
Thanks to the 118-114 win, the Sixers now own the tiebreaker over Charlotte, and are tied with Atlanta for sixth in the Eastern Conference, a half game out of fifth.
Here’s what we noticed in the win:
Tyrese Maxey returns
Tyrese Maxey made his long-awaited return to the Sixers’ lineup after missing three weeks with a pinky injury on Saturday.
Last year, after Maxey hurt his pinky finger, his shooting fell off a cliff. Returning from this three-week absence, Maxey started off hot, going 6-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-4 from three, in the first half. He ended the game with 26 points, shooting 10-for-18, with seven rebounds and eight assists.
After he posterized Miles Bridges with a left-handed dunk, his teammates held up a pinky in celebration that Maxey was officially back.
Quite the offensive battle
Charlotte’s offense is potent, especially from behind the arc, but in the first half, the Sixers matched them shot for shot, with each team making 10 three-pointers. The Sixers shot 52.5% from the field in the first half compared to the Hornets’ 48%, but still were down as many as 13 points, because the Hornets created so many extra possessions.
Charlotte dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 10 rebounds for 11 second-chance points, compared to the Sixers’ three offensive rebounds and two second-chance points. By the end of the third quarter, they’d grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.
Joel Embiid (left) scored a team-high 29 points in Saturday’s Sixers win against Charlotte.
Big man Moussa Diabaté did most of the damage, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the game. In the fourth quarter, Nurse turned to Andre Drummond at backup center in place of Adem Bona, to put a little more size in the paint. The Sixers managed to hold the Hornets to zero offensive rebounds in that final quarter, a key reason why they ultimately managed to take the lead and win the game.
The Sixers are finally healthy … mostly
Kelly Oubre Jr. returned to the lineup after missing two weeks with an elbow injury, coming in off the bench, the latest in big names coming off the injury report.
Sixers forward Paul George (left) and forward Dominick Barlow (right) work to shut down Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball on Saturday.
Each one of the Sixers’ biggest stars had a critical moment down the stretch — Embiid blocked a three-point attempt from Brandon Miller with under 10 seconds to play, Paul George hit the corner three that put the Sixers up for the final time, Maxey made a free throw to add to that cushion, and Edgecombe broke up a potential offensive rebound opportunity from Diabaté on the final possession on the glass.
“It just comes down to being healthy,” Maxey said Friday after practice. “I think that’s the NBA in general. A lot of teams have talent, a lot of teams have hard work and good coaching, but most of the time it comes down who’s healthy at the end.”
