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  • Kyle Lowry will reportedly retire as a Toronto Raptor. But his impact for his hometown Sixers will be remembered

    Kyle Lowry will reportedly retire as a Toronto Raptor. But his impact for his hometown Sixers will be remembered

    On a December night in Milwaukee, Kyle Lowry pulled up a livestream on his phone from the visitors’ locker room inside Fiserv Forum.

    An elementary school band was playing “Jingle Bells” at their winter concert — including Lowry’s son, Kam, on the trombone.

    “Yeah, Kam!” Lowry said, with 76ers teammate Tyrese Maxey looking over his shoulder. “Got to act like you’re there.”

    Several NBA players face this reality during the season, when extensive travel and nighttime games take them away from time with their families. The 40-year-old Lowry has experienced this for two decades of a career highlighted by six All-Star appearances and an NBA title. But soon, the North Philly native will be able to share more of those family moments in person, as Sportsnet reported Thursday afternoon that Lowry is retiring from the NBA.

    This decision from Lowry has long been expected. He said after the 2024-25 season that he wanted to play one more to reach 20 for his NBA career, though was more coy when asked about those plans in recent months.

    He also is about to fulfill his longtime promise to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, where he became a franchise icon and 2019 NBA champion. Sportsnet reported that there will be a Lowry event and news conference on Tuesday — matching Lowry’s jersey number — along with future plans to retire his jersey sometime during the 2026-27 season.

    The Sixers just transformed themselves for an unbelievable price | David Murphy

    That recognition comes after Lowry’s celebratory final visit to Toronto as player for two January games last season. Sixers teammates marveled at the reception he received throughout Scotiabank Arena, taking photos and videos as he held court in front of a massive media scrum at his locker. And when a lopsided score allowed Lowry to check in for the final stretch of the second game, a raucous ovation ensued.

    “Probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career,” Lowry said after that game.

    Kyle Lowry (right), here with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, served as a mentor to the Sixers’ young stars.

    Lowry played parts of his final three NBA seasons with his hometown team, after starring at Cardinal Dougherty High School and Villanova led into his NBA career fueled by undersized tenacity and savvy point guard play.

    He joined the Sixers off the buyout market in 2024, reuniting with former Raptors coach Nick Nurse and becoming a starter on a playoff team. A hip injury derailed most of his 2024-25 season, when he candidly acknowledged watching Maxey create space to launch three-pointers and thinking, “Man, I remember when it was that easy to get shots off and have the confidence to do that,” he told The Inquirer then.

    In his final season, it was clear Lowry could no longer keep up physically. He appeared in 14 games — sometimes out of desperation when the guard group was depleted by injuries — and scored 17 total points on 4-of-25 shooting.

    One could argue the Sixers could have benefited from having another player on the roster who could contribute on the floor more than that version of Lowry. But he was an engaged and respected leader on the bench and in the locker room, particularly for Maxey.

    “He talks to me every timeout,” Maxey said during the Sixers’ first-round playoff upset over the Boston Celtics. “And there’s never a moment where he’s going to give me any bad advice. So I always just listen. That’s the biggest thing. If you have a guy like that, you’ve just got to listen.”

    Tyrese Maxey’s latest playoff outburst made an improbable Game 2 victory possible

    Added Lowry about his connection with his younger teammates: “I really give to them the purity of how I feel about them. Like I said, sacrifice. I don’t care about myself as a basketball player. I know in my career what I’ve done. … I’m the ancient man in this locker room. I embrace it, and they embrace me.”

    Lowry also was the first Sixer on the floor for pregame warmups — including on the day they were about to be swept out of the playoffs by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. Two hours before tipoff of Game 4, Lowry was sweating through his Adidas long-sleeve shirt while playing one-on-one against a player development coach inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    He will no longer need to commit to such workouts because his fabulous basketball career is over.

    More time to attend those elementary school band concerts.

  • Jaylen Brown’s workout in Philly, beef with Joel Embiid, and more things to know about the new Sixers star

    Jaylen Brown’s workout in Philly, beef with Joel Embiid, and more things to know about the new Sixers star

    The Sixers stunned the NBA by acquiring Jaylen Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

    The five-time NBA All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP has quite a history with the Sixers over his last 10 years in the NBA.

    Here are a few of them of note:

    History with the Sixers

    Brown was the third overall pick in 2016, the year the Sixers drafted Ben Simmons first overall. The Sixers worked Brown out, but ultimately didn’t stray from the widespread consensus and drafted Ben Simmons. But after the trade, fans uncovered a few old photos of Brown in Sixers gear from that pre-draft process.

    “It’s just another prospect who we wanted to see and bring into Philadelphia,” Marc Eversley, vice president of player personnel at the time, said about Brown. “He’s one of those guys who’s up in that area that we’re looking at. He’s a high-level prospect. As you saw today, he shoots the ball extremely well. He had a terrific year at Cal, and we just wanted to get him here in Philly and take another look at him.”

    An All-Philly debut

    Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley made their late night debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX. The other guest in the building that day? None other than Jaylen Brown.

    @bleacherreport Jalen Hurts looking smooth 🔥 (Via @fchwpo/IG) #nba #nbabasketball #nflfootball #football ♬ original sound – bleacherreport

    All three (plus the Eagles offensive line) appeared on the Feb. 11 episode, with Brown on set to promote a sponsor and the upcoming NBA All-Star Game. Now, they’re all in the same city.

    Brown’s big social media presence

    Brown is extremely active on social media, under the handle “FCHWPO” on Instagram, Twitter, and Twitch. The handle stands for “faith, consistency, hard work pays off,” which he’s used since before he was drafted.

    His Twitch streams helped make him more accessible to his fans, but have also occasionally started drama, including with Joel Embiid.

    Brown faced off with the Sixers often

    During Brown’s tenure with the Celtics, they met the Sixers in the playoffs four times. Brown has an all-time playoff record of 14-8 against the Sixers, including three series wins in 2018, 2020, and 2023, and one loss in 2026. He averaged 22.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in the four series.

    One day after the Celtics lost Game 7 to the Sixers in early May, Brown hopped on a Twitch livestream.

    “Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in [expletive] basketball history,” Brown said. “[He] flops. He knows it. This ain’t breaking news. It is what it is.”

    Brown also said that the refs have had an agenda against him, which causes him to get called for offensive fouls on his off-arm push-offs.

    “I’ve actually spoke to some refs and they said it was an agenda going into each game,” Brown said. “Anytime Jaylen brings his arm up, just from reputation, just call it. But Paul George does the same thing, Jalen Brunson does the same thing … I could go down the list. It’s a basketball play, whether y’all believe it or not.”

    Bronny comments

    The next biggest question on every Sixers fan’s mind is the lingering seed of hope that LeBron James could sign in Philadelphia.

    At Summer League in 2024, Brown was caught on camera telling a friend that he did not believe that James’ son, Bronny, who had just been drafted in the second round by the Lakers, was a pro-caliber player.

    Brown later tweeted an apology.

    “It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the NBA, it reflects greatness and longevity!” Brown wrote. “Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful. I look forward to watching his growth.”

    “Our relationship has been pretty respectful, besides that [expletive] he said about Bronny at Summer League, but other than that, we’ve been all right,” James said with a joking tone. “I think he went on social media and said something about it. It’s all good.”

  • Flyers’ Dan Vladař is happy to have found a team that believes in him: ‘I don’t take it for granted’

    Flyers’ Dan Vladař is happy to have found a team that believes in him: ‘I don’t take it for granted’

    The word “believe” was used throughout the Flyers’ run to the postseason and beyond.

    It was in big letters on the T-shirts the team wore, with 3.8% on the sleeve and beloved goalie Bernie Parent’s mask. And, a year ago, it was why Dan Vladař signed with the Flyers. He believed he could be a No. 1 goalie, and he believed something special was brewing in Philly.

    Flyers sign goalie Dan Vladař to a five-year, $27.5 million extension

    That belief became a reality when, across 51 starts, he went 29-14-7 and recorded the most wins by a Flyers goalie since Steve Mason in 2013-14. He finished the regular season with a 2.42 goals-against average and .906 save percentage, with one relief appearance included. He was even better in the playoffs, posting a 2.18 GAA, a .922 save percentage, and two shutouts.

    The Flyers showed how much they believe in Vladař on Wednesday by signing him to a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension that carries an annual average value of $5.5 million.

    Vladař, who turns 29 next month, spoke to the Flyers’ brass not long after the season concluded, and said that two weeks after the exit interviews, the deal was done. There was no hesitation and “no thinking longer than one second” on his part to get it done.

    “Obviously, it means a lot. I, for sure, I don’t take it for granted,” he said on a Zoom with reporters Thursday when asked what it means to him to have the Flyers believe in him. “Since Day 1, I really felt like I became a part of the family here, and [that’s] why my goal is to stay here for as long as I can and to have as much success as I can.

    “Nothing’s going to change for me heading into the next season. I’m still going to try to be the same goalie and obviously be the same person and really enjoy my time in Philly, and obviously my family loves it there, too, which was a big factor as well.”

    Family is another word used religiously by the Flyers. Vladař said when he signed his initial two-year contract last July 1, every player reached out to him. They welcomed him with open arms, and it’s akin to how he reached out to the newest goalies in the organization, Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenička. The fellow Czechs were drafted by the Flyers last weekend.

    “I spoke to them right away on Saturday,” he said. “Both seemed really excited to be part of the Flyers, and I basically just congratulated them. I just told them that I’m here for them if they ever have any questions and stuff like that. And at the same time, if they are going to be in Prague around the summer, they are more than welcome to go for lunch or come over for some barbecue.”

    It will be a 50% new look between the pipes for the Flyers this upcoming season. Sam Ersson was traded to Toronto before his rights were traded to Ottawa. He signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the Senators on Wednesday.

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar was 29-14-7 and posted a .906 save percentage in his first season in Philadelphia.

    Vladař said the news of the trade on June 16 was shocking — “I never saw that coming” — and called it a sad day.

    “First of all, I want to say thank you to Sam. He’s been one of the big reasons why we had a pretty good year, us as a team,” Vladař said. “I cannot wish him anything, just the best. And I hope he’s going to get his role, he’s going to get his games, and he’s going to prove to everybody that he’s a starting goalie. That’s my belief.”

    And, yes, he has spoken with Joseph Woll, his new goalie partner acquired in the swap with Toronto.

    Dan Vladař has been the Flyers’ MVP all season long. He’s also far from your typical goalie.

    “I reached out right away to Joe,” he said. “… And same thing as with Sam; we are going to need two, if not three, goalies over the next couple of years. So, for me, nothing’s changing. I’m going to be supportive, and I’m going to battle, and I’m going to be there for him every time he needs me. So nothing’s changing for me.

    “And he seemed like a really good person and a guy who wants to be a Flyer. So I think that’s what we are trying to build here. So I’m pretty sure that we are going to have great chemistry, and we are going to do something really special here.”

  • Pirates torch Phillies’ bullpen to win series finale ahead of nine-game trip

    Pirates torch Phillies’ bullpen to win series finale ahead of nine-game trip

    As a heatwave continued to roll across the Northeast on Thursday, the Phillies’ offense wilted.

    On a scorching afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, where the temperature at first pitch was 98 degrees and climbed to triple digits from there, the Phillies dropped the series finale to the Pirates, 6-1.

    But the loss could have easily been even more lopsided. Pittsburgh had plenty of opportunities to run up the score further, with 14 hits to the Phillies’ four.

    Don Mattingly not bothered that Zack Wheeler was upset by his decision

    “That was definitely one of the hotter days I’ve felt in this ballpark,” said Bryce Harper, whose RBI double in the third inning drove in the Phillies’ only run. “Played some hot ones out in Turner Field against the Braves, but that was one of the hotter days I’ve ever felt in this park.”

    The Pirates had base runners in every inning except the first, and stranded 12 thanks to some solid defensive efforts from the Phillies.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly opted not to use an opener for Alan Rangel, who made his first major league start and delivered four scoreless innings. He wriggled out of a few jams to do it. A double play from Alec Bohm — who fielded a grounder, stepped on third, and fired to first base — helped Rangel leave two on in the third. Rangel also recovered from back-to-back walks in the fourth with a groundout that ended the inning.

    Alan Rangel pitched four scoreless innings in his first major league start.

    “He’s kind of doing what he’s been doing for us the whole time, which is keeping us in the game,” Mattingly said. “Threw zeros. You could tell he was kind of running out of gas at the end with the walks and things like that, but he did a nice job for us.”

    The Phillies led early after Harper’s RBI double, but the bats fell silent after that. It gave the Pirates time to break through, which they did against the Phillies’ bullpen.

    Pittsburgh tied things up with one run on three hits against Tim Mayza in the fifth. Trea Turner limited the damage there with another double play, which he fielded himself and threw to first while stepping across the bag.

    The Pirates took the lead against José Alvarado in the seventh inning. He got ahead, 0-2, against Brandon Lowe, but failed to put him away, giving up a leadoff single instead on a cutter. Lowe later scored when Esmerlyn Valdez sent a ball past Justin Crawford in center for a triple.

    Another single scored Valdez before Alvarado ended the inning with a strikeout. The lefty has a 6.10 ERA this season.

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    “It’s kind of game to game with Alvy,” Mattingly said. “Big games, he’s been good, getting some big outs. But in other games, he gives up the hit that obviously hurts. But in general, I think his stuff has been good.”

    Runs scored on all three left-handed relievers the Phillies used in the game: Mayza, Alvarado, and Kyle Backhus, who gave up a solo homer in the ninth. Lefties in the Phillies’ bullpen have a 4.73 ERA, fifth-worst in baseball.

    Lou Trivino, a righty who had his contract selected earlier this week to give the bullpen a fresh arm, also allowed a pair of runs in the eighth. He gave up two hits, including a solo homer, and walked two.

    Bryce Harper (far right) said Thursday was “definitely one of the hotter days I’ve felt in this ballpark.”

    The Phillies’ bullpen overall has been taxed this week, but will get a respite with Friday’s off day.

    “The off day is definitely coming at a good time for us,” Mattingly said. “ … I think anytime you can get guys a day off their legs, it’s good. And obviously we need to try to get that bullpen where more of the guys are rested.”

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    The offense, meanwhile, struggled against Pirates starter Jared Jones and piggybacking Carmen Mlodzinski, who combined for seven innings. After Harper’s RBI double against Jones, the Phillies managed just two more hits — singles from Turner and Bryson Stott — the rest of the game.

    “I think in the whole series I thought we swung the bat well,” Harper said. “Obviously, today didn’t go as planned. They got four horses over there that throw really hard and have really good stuff, so just weren’t able to really get it going today, fell behind, and split the series.”

    Pirates relievers entered Thursday’s game with a 4.44 ERA, which is fourth-worst in the National League, but the Phillies didn’t capitalize. Mason Montgomery struck out Brandon Marsh, Bohm, and Stott in order in the ninth to seal it.

    “Obviously it was hot, we know that, but both teams played in it, so can’t really make an excuse with the weather,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, it affects in some way, but both teams played in it.”

    The Phillies played their final game at home before the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14. They depart on a three-city, nine-game road trip, opening in Kansas City on Saturday.

  • LeBron James’ connection to Mike Gansey, how the Sixers can afford him, and what happened the last time they tried to sign him

    LeBron James’ connection to Mike Gansey, how the Sixers can afford him, and what happened the last time they tried to sign him

    Historically, Philadelphia has a rocky relationship with kings. That could change.

    Following the team’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown, it seems the 76ers could be a legit candidate to land LeBron James, who will not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 24th season. Here’s why the proposition is not as far-fetched as it may seem …

    What is Mike Gansey’s connection to LeBron?

    The prospect of James coming Philadelphia was already picking up steam on social media following the Brown trade. Then, Steven Gansey, the younger brother of new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, added fuel to the fire.

    NBA free agency updates: What’s next for the Sixers after the Jaylen Brown trade; LeBron looms large

    On Wednesday, Steven posted a throwback photo of his brother (far right) alongside James (second from the right) in high school on X. He captioned the post with the eyeballs emoji, insinuating a connection.

    As the photo shows, Gansey and James have crossed paths. The two Ohio natives competed in high school. Gansey, who went to have a memorable collegiate career at West Virginia, finished as the runner-up to James in the 2001 Mr. Ohio Basketball race.

    Would Gansey make another splashy move?

    Over a decade after facing LeBron on the court, Gansey served in a variety of roles in Cleveland during James’ second stint with the Cavaliers. In 2016, when James willed the team to a 3-1 comeback over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Gansey received a ring as the team’s director of development league operations.

    Resetting the Sixers’ roster after their blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown and free-agency moves

    Signing James would also be in line with the Sixers president’s resume. Gansey has previously shown that he is not scared of making splashy moves — and bringing in one of the NBA’s all-time greats is a cannonball.

    As the Cavaliers general manager, Gansey was part of a front office that traded for stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Now, during his first offseason leading the Sixers, he executed a trade for Brown — another top-tier player. So it wouldn’t appear Gansey is too risk-adverse to add another star to the roster.

    New Sixers president Mike Gansey has been known to make splashy moves.

    Are the Sixers actually in the mix?

    On Wednesday, Rich Paul, James’ agent and longtime friend, told Game Over podcast host Max Kellerman that between 12 and 14 teams have reached out about his client. With the Sixers appearing to be all-in this season, it would make sense that the team has interest.

    And on Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers are “trying to make a pitch” to James.

    Shortly after, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also linked James to the Sixers, pointing to Tyrese Maxey’s connection through Paul and Klutch Sports.

    “A key factor in any sort of Philadelphia pursuit of LeBron is Tyrese Maxey. That is not only because of his talent, which is awesome, but he’s one of Klutch’s core clients,” Windhorst said. “He’s basically a part of LeBron’s extended family, so you would not only have Jaylen Brown as the addition, you would have Tyrese Maxey as your drawing card.”

    James has also been linked to the Heat, the Cavaliers, and the Warriors since becoming a free agent.

    How would LeBron fit with the Sixers?

    James’ time-proven versatility makes him a good fit on most NBA rosters, and the Sixers are no exception.

    James could easily slide into the four-spot over presumptive starter Dean Wade, a free-agent acquisition from Cleveland. Even if Joel Embiid is banged up during the regular season, the Sixers have two high volume scorers to take the load off James in Brown and Maxey. Last season, Brown and Maxey finished fourth and fifth in points per game, respectively.

    The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer is more than willing to take the backseat in the twilight of his career. Last year, Lakers guard Luke Dončić led the league in points per game as James served as the team’s secondary ballhandler. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in 60 games last season. With the Sixers, he would be asked to do even less.

    The Sixers just turned Paul George into Jaylen Brown and transformed themselves for an unbelievable price | David Murphy

    Could the Sixers even afford him?

    James is not looking for a big payday, which is welcome news for the cash-strapped Sixers.

    ESPN reported that the four-time MVP is willing to sign a minimum contract. This report coincides with comments from Paul, who previously explained the 41-year old’s decision will be motivated by achieving “complete happiness” — not money.

    The Sixers, after signing former New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti on Wednesday and guard Anfernee Simons on Thursday, are now over the luxury tax and $3.2 million under the first apron, where they are hard-capped. They are now limited to veteran minimum contracts, meaning they could sign James if he is willing to play on a low-cost deal.

    Joel Embiid (right) tried recruiting LeBron the last time he was a free agent.

    Have the Sixers ever been close before?

    The last time James was seeking a new team, as a free-agent in 2018, he gave Philadelphia a look.

    Although many considered James to Los Angeles to be a done deal at the time, he did consider joining the Sixers. In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols after signing with the Lakers, James mentioned that he chose the Lakers over the likes of the Sixers and the Houston Rockets — two teams that boasted more talent than LA at the time — to help cement his legacy as a great.

    “I definitely thought long and hard about the possibilities of lining up alongside Ben [Simmons] and [Joel] Embiid, or lining up alongside [James] Harden and Chris [Paul],” James told ESPN in 2018. “I felt like at this point in my career, the ultimate for me — just like when I went to Miami, everyone kind of looks at me joining a super team.”

    “I like the challenge of being able to help a team get to some places they haven’t been in a while, and obviously the Lakers haven’t made the playoffs in a few years,” he added.

    Early reactions to the Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade: ‘The East offseason is crazy’

    Representatives from Philadelphia met with James’ camp but James did not attend the meeting. The meeting was led by then-Sixers head coach Brett Brown, who was also serving as the team’s interim president following the resignation of Bryan Colangelo.

    Leading up to that free agency, Philadelphia made an all-out push for James with Embiid taking to social media to pitch his team to James. The then-24-year-old center made a plea on Twitter (now X), and even took a shot at Colangelo by referencing a now infamous line he used on one of the burner accounts that led to his exit.

    Meanwhile, Philadelphia-based company Power Home Remodeling purchased three billboards outside of Cleveland to court James, who played for the Cavaliers at the time. Two of the billboards read “Philly Wants LeBron” and “Complete The Process” — referring to the Sixers’ motto spearheaded by former president Sam Hinkie. The third billboard featured LeBron’s number on the court alongside the numbers of the Sixers’ starting lineup.

    The rumor mill around James joining the Sixers mainly revolved around his well-known relationship with Simmons, who was known to workout with James on occasion. Both former first overall picks, the two (like Maxey and James) shared an agency in Klutch Sports. Coming out of the draft and early in his career, Simmons, a 6-foot-10 point guard, also received a hefty comparison to James because of his playmaking ability and size.

    As fate would have it, Simmons recently displayed interest in returning to Philadelphia in an interview with Men’s Health.

  • Caitlin Clark voted a starter in her third straight WNBA All-Star Game

    Caitlin Clark voted a starter in her third straight WNBA All-Star Game

    NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was voted to start her third straight All-Star Game and will be joined by Indiana Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, the WNBA announced Thursday.

    It’s the second time in four years that three players from the same team were chosen to start the game, with Las Vegas doing so in 2023. Clark couldn’t play in last year’s game that the Fever hosted because she was injured right before the All-Star break.

    Dallas’ Paige Bueckers and Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles will join Clark and her teammates as backcourt starters. It’s the fourth consecutive year that a rookie was chosen as an All-Star starter. Bueckers played last season.

    A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jessica Shepard, Natasha Howard, and Gabby Williams were selected for the frontcourt for the game that will be played July 25 in Chicago. It will be Wilson’s and Stewart’s eighth All-Star appearance while Shepard will be making her first.

    “It’s an honor to be an All-Star, even though I’ve had a few of them,” Stewart said. “Each one is really special, and I’m not taking it lightly.”

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    Williams played in her first All-Star Game last season. Howard will play in her third.

    Starters were chosen by a mix of fan, player, and media votes. The fan vote counted for 50% while media and player votes were 25% each. Each player’s score was calculated by averaging their weighted rank from all three areas.

    The league’s head coaches will select the 12 reserves for the team, and they’ll be announced Tuesday. The 15 head coaches will vote for three guards, five frontcourt players, and four players at either position regardless of conference. Coaches can’t vote for their own players.

    New this year, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as honorary general managers and select the two teams from the pool of All-Stars. Previously, the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads.

    Bueckers, Clark, and Boston were the top three vote-getters among fans. All three received more than 1 million votes.

  • Source: Anfernee Simons agrees to two-year, $12.3 million deal to bolster Sixers’ bench

    Source: Anfernee Simons agrees to two-year, $12.3 million deal to bolster Sixers’ bench

    Anfernee Simons has agreed to sign a two-year, $12.3 million contract with the 76ers, a source confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday afternoon.

    After trading for star Jaylen Brown on Wednesday night, the Sixers turned to some much-needed bench bolstering after losing sixth man Quentin Grimes, who reportedly will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Simons has averaged a career 14.9 points and shot 38.1% on 6.6 three-pointers per game during his eight-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls.

    Simons also was one of Brown’s teammates with the Celtics last season. Simons averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 49 games before being traded to Chicago for reserve center Nikola Vučević on Feb. 5.

    Resetting the Sixers’ roster after their blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown and free-agency moves

    To sign Simons and stay under the first apron, where they are hard capped, his contract will come out of the nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Ariel Hukporti’s one-year, $3.4 million deal, which was agreed to Wednesday, will come out of the $5.5 biannual exception.

    Simons joins a Sixers guard group that already features All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and VJ Egdecombe, who finished third in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. Simons’ addition could cut into the initial playing time for rookie-to-be Labaron Philon Jr., who was the 22nd overall pick in the draft.

    The Sixers’ roster currently sits at 14 players. Reserve center Adem Bona’s contract becomes guaranteed on Tuesday, while Dalen Terry’s nonguaranteed deal and Jabari Walker’s partially guaranteed deals become guaranteed Jan. 10.

    Anfernee Simons shot 38.1% on 6.6 three-point attempts during his eight-year career.

    This is another step in the Sixers going all in to become a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.

    They finished last season seventh in the East standings (45-37) and, after their stunning rally from down three games to one to upset the Celtics, were swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. In addition to the Sixers’ blockbuster trade for Brown, the Toronto Raptors reacquired former star Kawhi Leonard and the Miami Heat traded for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    Current depth chart

    Point guard: Tyrese Maxey, Labaron Philon Jr.

    Shooting guard: VJ Edgecombe, Anfernee Simons, Dalen Terry

    Small forward: Jaylen Brown, Justin Edwards

    Power forward: Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker

    Center: Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Johni Broome

  • Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade grades: The Sixers just got their second big win over the Celtics in as many months

    Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade grades: The Sixers just got their second big win over the Celtics in as many months

    Wednesday’s trade between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics has left many puzzled. In exchange for Paul George, two first-round, and two second-round draft picks, the Sixers received Jaylen Brown from the Celtics.

    Still, despite the struggle to make sense of how the trade unfolded, people had a lot of thoughts.

    Here is how the national experts are grading the George-Brown trade …

    ESPN

    Sixers: A-

    With guards like Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and a center like Joel Embiid, ESPN wrote that Brown could be the fit that the Sixers needed, but that’s also not guaranteed.

    “As a pure talent play, trading this package for Brown should have been an incredibly easy decision for the 76ers’ new front office,” Zach Kram wrote. “They’re swapping a declining role player for an All-NBA star who’s six years younger and still at his peak, and they’re not giving up close to all the draft capital they could have in the process.”

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    Celtics: D+

    As for the other end of the trade, there was no wondering how George would fit. No matter what, ESPN wrote that it was a bad move on the Celtics’ part. The only alternative ESPN considered was if the Celtics would package the picks they received in the deal for another star.

    “Swapping Brown for George makes the Celtics worse. It clearly makes them worse. Crucially, it lowers their playoff ceiling,” Kram wrote.

    The Athletic

    Sixers: A

    The Athletic predicts that swapping George for Brown will be a big difference-maker for the Sixers and their position in the Eastern Conference, especially considering George’s previous season, 25-game suspension and all, compared to Brown, who had one of his best individual seasons.

    “The Sixers can now roll out a perimeter attack of Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe, which is going to be nearly impossible for teams to match up against,” Zach Harper wrote. “On the nights Embiid is available and active, they could be one of the best teams in the East. On the nights when Embiid is struggling or unable to play, they’ll still be fine.”

    The Sixers just transformed themselves for an unbelievable price | David Murphy

    Celtics: D+

    The Celtics’ part in this trade, the Athletic said, feels like a panic move in reaction to the tension Brown seemed to be feeling following the discussions about his role in a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    “The Celtics’ decision to go with George instead of Brown is a massive downgrade. He has a much more alarming injury history, and he’s simply not as good,” Harper wrote.

    Even when Sixers center Joel Embiid (21) is out, adding someone like Jaylen Brown offers a boost.

    CBS Sports

    Sixers: A+

    When ranking the worst contracts in the NBA in March, the now-36-year-old George’s deal was No. 4. Moving off that contract and adding Brown is a win-win in CBS’s eyes.

    “For all of these years, we’ve talked about the possibility of Brown getting traded so he could lead his own team,” Sam Quinn wrote. “On the 76ers, there will be nights in which he’s the leading scorer and there will be nights in which he finishes fourth. To get a reliable, in-his-prime All-Star for two picks and what we’ve been treating as one of the NBA’s worst contracts is an outright steal.”

    Celtics: D-

    For the Celtics, CBS Sports considered how Brown’s contract no longer worked for the team, but still, George’s contract doesn’t seem to make sense for them, either.

    “The theory of trading Brown in the first place, unless there was unresolvable tension behind the scenes, seemingly related to his contract,” Quinn wrote. “Both he and Tatum are making supermax money. Having two players make 35% of the salary cap every year puts an almost impossible strain on your depth.”

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    Yahoo! Sports

    Sixers: A

    Yahoo! Sports minced no words in declaring that Philly got the better player in the deal, while also dumping a worse contract. There are, however, concerns with Brown’s fit with the Sixers.

    “Brown isn’t necessarily a strong outside shooter, which is a necessity alongside Maxey and, in particular, Embiid,” Morten Stig Jensen wrote.

    “Overall, though, Philly takes a step forward here with a pretty durable 29-year-old coming off an outstanding season.”

    Celtics: B

    Yahoo! Sports had a much more optimistic spin than most other experts when it came to Boston and the dimensions of the trade.

    “George, 36, might have health issues, but when he does play, his shooting capabilities align perfectly with the values of head coach Joe Mazzulla, which shouldn’t be undervalued,” Stig Jensen wrote.

    At 36 years old, forward Paul George could be more open to a complementary role with the Celtics.

    Bleacher Report

    Sixers: A

    Like the rest of the experts, Bleacher Report gave the Sixers high marks on acquiring Brown, with a focus on how he can fit with Embiid.

    “This is a big swing for a team that can compete for a conference finals berth if Joel Embiid is healthy in the playoffs,” the Bleacher Report NBA staff wrote. “And having an innings eater like Brown should make it easier to be very gentle with Embiid’s regular-season minutes.”

    Celtics: A

    The difference, however, between Bleacher Report and other outlets came in its viewing of the trade from Boston’s perspective, seeing their return as equal to what they traded away.

    “For the Celtics, things had clearly gotten untenable between Brown and the organization,” Bleacher Report wrote. “And getting multiple first-rounders for him, considering how widely accepted his future departure was, is good value.

    “Plus, though he’s entering his age-36 season, George can still be helpful in a complementary role next to Jayson Tatum (and will be more willing to be in that role).”

  • Don Mattingly not bothered that Zack Wheeler was upset by his decision: ‘The great ones never want to come out’

    Don Mattingly not bothered that Zack Wheeler was upset by his decision: ‘The great ones never want to come out’

    Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Thursday that he hasn’t spoken to Zack Wheeler about his postgame comments from the night before.

    But he also isn’t bothered that Wheeler was upset. Wheeler was direct about his frustration at being removed from his start against the Pirates on Wednesday after 4⅔ innings with an 8-3 lead, leaving two runners on base for Kyle Backhus. The righty was at 104 pitches on a hot day, matching a season high, but said he felt he had earned the chance to finish the fifth inning.

    “I was upset,” Wheeler said postgame.

    Phillies ace Zack Wheeler ‘upset’ about being pulled early vs. Pirates: ‘I feel like I’ve earned that’

    Since he departed with two outs in the fifth, he was ineligible to get credit for what ultimately was a 10-6 win.

    “I don’t think he wants to talk to me yet. Maybe he’ll settle down, and we’ll talk a bit later,” Mattingly said pregame Thursday. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet. I mean, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset. I think the great ones never want to come out of the game, and he’s no different.”

    Mattingly compared managing Wheeler to managing the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who he said similarly never wanted to be taken out. In this situation, his justification for removing Wheeler in that moment was to protect the rotation as a whole.

    Zack Wheeler gave up four runs against the Pirates and was pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth inning on Wednesday.

    “Our rotation is obviously a great rotation, but the depth of it is not filled with four Paul Skenes down in the minor leagues ready to pop in and fill the spot,” Mattingly said. “So my job is to make sure that this guy stays available through the course of the season, and we’ve got a long way to go. So I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”

    Mattingly was concerned that the next batter, Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum, would work a long at-bat, driving up Wheeler’s pitch count even further. Pittsburgh had already fouled off 20 of Wheeler’s pitches on Wednesday.

    Backhus took over and hit Magnum with a pitch. He also hit the next batter to force in a run charged to Wheeler.

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    Mattingly said the fact that Wheeler was one out away from becoming eligible for his ninth win of the season did not factor into his decision. Wheeler, whose ERA crept up to 2.36 after Wednesday’s start, has been forthright about his ambition to win a Cy Young Award.

    “I think more about the situation that we’re in as a club. I think it probably helps that nowadays wins aren’t really a big thing anymore,” Mattingly said. “It used to be that you’d let that guy try to finish it. And in a different time, you may be letting the guy throw 130 [pitches], but that’s not the time we’re in. That’s not the situation that we’re in right now.”

    Phillies manager Don Mattingly said of Zack Wheeler: “I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”

    Mattingly added that he doesn’t expect this frustration to linger. When things cool off, he wants to discuss the move with Wheeler, but it also won’t change how he manages.

    “I want to know his feelings on it, and all that stuff, but I’m still making the decision based on the club and the team and moving forward, where we want to go,” Mattingly said. “So I don’t mind him hearing my side of it. I don’t mind hearing his side of it, and, again, just have to deal with being mad about it or doesn’t like it. I understand it, but I still have to do what I have to do.”

    Extra bases

    Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Friday with triple-A Lehigh Valley in Rochester, N.Y. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 3.88 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

  • Malik Tillman’s heroics helped the USMNT survive Folarin Balogun’s red card and make World Cup history

    Malik Tillman’s heroics helped the USMNT survive Folarin Balogun’s red card and make World Cup history

    SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Malik Tillman’s shoe was broken.

    He’d been stepped on by a Bosnian player, not hard enough to need to leave the game but enough to need a replacement cleat from the bench.

    The new one didn’t have any magic dust, but it didn’t need it. Tillman practices free kicks a lot, so he was ready when the moment came.

    His team was a goal up, a man down, and fighting with every ounce it had to secure its first men’s World Cup knockout win in 24 years. In the 82nd minute, the chance to regain momentum finally arrived.

    Bosnia’s Stjepan Radeljić held back Sergiño Dest, earning the U.S a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Tillman, with a bloodied sock underneath that new shoe, stepped up to score the goal that clinched the 2-0 win.

    “I’ve been dreaming about this game. I’ve been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick,” he said. “I practiced this in training, and today I think I showed what I can do.”

    The USMNT fights past Bosnia and Herzegovina for its first World Cup knockout win in 24 years

    Soccer now has its own version of Curt Schilling’s bloody sock saga in the American sports history books — though Tillman is much more soft-spoken than the former pitcher who played for the Red Sox, Phillies, and more.

    As Tillman ran toward the end line to celebrate, his teammates joined him in a joyous mass, fusing its energy with a crowd that had dug in just as much down the stretch. That energy came through loud and clear all night, in hopes of seeing a new chapter in a story that began when the Bay Area hosted the U.S. men’s soccer team’s first World Cup knockout game of its modern era in 1994.

    “I’m a different type of person on the pitch,” Tillman said. “Of course, maybe you don’t really see my emotions, but if you score a goal like this, you guys saw my emotions. It’s a great feeling, and, of course, a very proud moment for me.”

    It’s easy to say that the Americans don’t face the kind of pressure as the world’s traditional powers like Brazil, Argentina, England, and Germany. Even next-door neighbor Mexico deals with more, thanks to a rabid fan base that spans both sides of the Rio Grande.

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    But this time, the weight on the U.S. was massive. A squad of players long hyped as a golden generation had to win this game, or else they’d be tarred as failures in the big moment.

    The stakes rose even higher when cohosts Canada and Mexico won their round of 32 contests first. Imagine the reaction in the soccer world had the U.S. failed to match them.

    There still will be plenty at stake when the Americans play Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday in Seattle. This team still hasn’t beaten a really good opponent in this World Cup, or in general for a while. Nor has anyone forgotten that the ninth-ranked Red Devils thumped the U.S., 5-2, in March in Atlanta, even if that was a friendly with different squads.

    The U.S. also still has a poor all-time record against European teams in World Cups. Wednesday’s win was just the fourth win in 26 such games, against 15 losses and seven ties. Raising the win total to five now would make an all-time impact.

    After a century of false starts, soccer has taken off in the U.S.

    About the red card

    The call certainly was controversial, and by the letter of the law, referee Raphael Claus might have relied too much on slow-motion replay footage instead of watching at real-time speed.

    But the decision was not totally wrong. First and foremost, any time a replay shows a player dragging his studs down an opponent’s calf and landing on the foot almost certainly will be a red.

    An obvious counter to that is that Lionel Messi wasn’t sent off in Argentina’s group game against Algeria for landing his studs in an opponent’s calf even more directly.

    This World Cup was nearly 20 years in the making for U.S. Soccer. The history is worth knowing.

    This is life in the sport, and every player knows it. Had Balogun been hit in a similar way, even though the initial collision was 50/50, U.S. fans surely would have brayed for the opponent’s dismissal.

    Also, if Balogun had been given a yellow card right away, the odds might have decreased that a video review would upgrade the call to a red.

    Referee Raphael Claus (left) showing the red card to Folarin Balogun.

    Because there was no card initially, when Claus went to the monitor, all he could do was give a red or let it go. The rules mandate that a video review of a call with no card can’t lead to a yellow. FIFA’s rules also mean U.S. Soccer can’t appeal the decision, though it almost certainly would have lost.

    “Typical FIFA,” U.S. veteran Tyler Adams said of the rule book. But he didn’t totally argue with the call.

    With five World Cup games down, and a massive one to go in Philly, did Croatia just snap the Rocky curse?

    “You’re asking the wrong person, with how I tackle,” he said. “I think it’s a yellow card. I think when you slow everything down, it’s always going to look worse. I don’t want to say too much.”

    It definitely will sting the U.S. to face Belgium’s stars without the striker who has more than justified the hype around his talent. Ricardo Pepi presumably will start, with Haji Wright coming off the bench.

    Ricardo Pepi (right) subbed on in the 87th minute to help close out the game.

    Pepi didn’t stop to talk with the media after Wednesday’s game, but Wright did. The last U.S. striker to score in a World Cup before Balogun’s three this summer declared himself “always ready and always prepared to give my best for the team.”

    There also was lots of support for Balogun from his teammates.

    “He’s done so much for us, and now we’ve got his back,” Christian Pulisic said, and Chris Richards said nearly the same words.

    Christian Pulisic (right) consoles Folarin Balogun after the striker’s ejection.

    Freese’s satisfaction

    Let’s close this piece on a positive note.

    Matt Freese grew up in Wayne idolizing Tim Howard, the U.S. Hall of Famer who cemented his legend with 16 saves in the 2014 World Cup’s 2-1 loss to Belgium. Freese didn’t have to be that busy against Bosnia, but his three stops and command of his box still were plenty to confirm his status as the No. 1 in net.

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    Now he has a historic reward: being the goalkeeper of record for the first World Cup knockout win in so long.

    “It means, really, more than I can say,” Freese said. “You dream of putting your name up there with the guys that you watched growing up. And there’s a lot more to do, but it’s an honor and a privilege to be in goal for this team.”

    Matt Freese (center) making one of his big stops in Wednesday’s game.