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  • No wonder Flyers fans are irrational about Matvei Michkov. Have you looked at this team’s draft history?

    No wonder Flyers fans are irrational about Matvei Michkov. Have you looked at this team’s draft history?

    Because of the Winter Olympics, the Flyers won’t play again for another two-and-a-half weeks, not that anyone is all that broken up about their impending absence. They’ve been a lousy hang for a while, losing 12 of their last 15 games, falling out of the playoff picture, and drawing attention primarily for the six degrees of debate around Matvei Michkov’s playing time.

    The Michkov issue has been fascinating and revealing. Everyone acknowledges that, after his often-impressive rookie season, he came into training camp out of shape. That reality has precipitated a months-long discussion about how he has played, when he has played, how much he has played, and whether coach Rick Tocchet might be mishandling him and sabotaging Michkov’s career before the kid has a chance to become the star the Flyers and their fans hope he will be.

    Tocchet, general manager Danny Brière, and team president Keith Jones have made it clear that they are taking, or trying to take, the long view about Michkov’s development. They have also made it clear that they consider it valuable to put him through a kind of rite of passage, to compel him to learn and practice good habits on and off the ice.

    One can make a case that such an approach is too old school, won’t be effective, and risks angering and alienating Michkov. That’s possible, I suppose, but it’s just as reasonable to think the Flyers’ methods are correct and will work.

    Flyers hit the Olympic break at a crossroads. Will they sell for the future or try to push for the playoffs?

    There are plenty of 76ers fans and former members of the franchise, for example, who wish their team had treated Joel Embiid and other since-departed players with a firmer hand earlier in their careers.

    It’s safe to say, though, that within at least a portion of the Flyers’ fan base, a measure of paranoia has arisen when it comes to Michkov and the organization’s handling of him.

    Earlier this season, anodyne comments about him, by team captain Sean Couturier, were taken out of context and treated as a major controversy. Tocchet then offered a frank assessment of Michkov’s conditioning and performance during a recent interview with PHLY Sports. And while it wasn’t the smartest media-relations strategy for the head coach to criticize such an important player so brusquely, the reaction to Tocchet’s comments suggested that people were afraid Michkov would be so offended that he would catch the first flight to Little Diomede and hike the Bering Strait back to Putinland.

    That fear is irrational, of course, and it’s easy to chalk it up to the longtime overzealousness of the Benevolent Order of the Orange and Black. But in this case, it’s understandable that those fans who have stuck with the Flyers over the last 15½ years — that’s how long it has been since that 2010 run to the Stanley Cup Final — would be a little on edge about Michkov. Even more than a little.

    All anyone has to do is look at the Flyers’ draft history over the last quarter century to understand why their fans want Michkov treated like a prince and shielded from any emotional boo-boos. Because that history is … ugh.

    • Let’s start with 2001. The Flyers’ first-round pick that year, defenseman Jeff Woywitka, played 278 NHL games in his career, none with the Flyers. Their third-round pick, Patrick Sharp, turned out to be a terrific player … after they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks.
    • With the fourth-overall pick in 2002, the Flyers took defenseman Joni Pitkänen. Eh. Their subsequent six picks in that draft played a combined total of one game in the NHL.
    • The 2003 draft was a red-letter one: Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in the first round. After those two, the Flyers took nine other players. Alexandre Picard, a third-round defenseman, turned out to be the best of the bunch.
    • If, in 2004, the Flyers were actually trying to tank the draft, no one could tell. They picked 11 players who appeared in a total of 23 NHL games.
    Flyers GM Danny Brière addresses Rick Tocchet’s recent comments on Matvei Michkov: ‘They have a good relationship.’
    • Over the ‘05 and ‘06 drafts, they selected 16 players, two of whom had lengthy NHL careers: Claude Giroux and … Steve Downie.
    • For three straight drafts, 2008 through 2010, the Flyers picked 17 players. Just nine made it to the NHL and two others played only one game. The player who played the most games for them was Zac Rinaldo.
    • The Flyers took Couturier with the No. 8 overall pick in 2011. Excellent. They found Nick Cousins in the third round. OK. None of their other four picks that year played for them.
    Left wing Oskar Lindblom was drafted by the Flyers in 2014.
    • From 2012 to 2014, the Flyers drafted Travis Sanheim, Scott Laughton, Shayne Gostisbehere, Anthony Stolarz, Oskar Lindblom, and Robert Hägg. They did not draft anyone who could reasonably be called a star.
    • When the Flyers took Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny in the first round, 2015 looked like a draft they could take pride in. But Provorov’s gone, and goalies Felix Sandström and Ivan Fedotov couldn’t cut it.
    • Two words about the 2016 draft: German Rubtsov. Two more words: Carter Hart.
    • With the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft, the Flyers selected Nolan Patrick. There are no words for how that decision turned out. But hey, Noah Cates!
    • The Flyers’ crown jewels from the 2018 draft were Joel Farabee and Sam Ersson.
    • In 2019 and 2020, the Flyers got Cam York (cool), Tyson Foerster (promising but injured), Bobby Brink (we’ll see), and Emil Andrae (don’t you need more from a second-rounder by now?).
    • So far, the Flyers’ best pick in the 2021 draft has been Aleksei Kolosov. Which tells you all you need to know about the Flyers’ 2021 draft.
    • We’re up to 2022. The Cutter Gauthier draft. Best to move on quickly and quietly …
    • The Jones-Brière regime has overseen the 2023-25 drafts, and yes, it’s early yet to judge the results, and yes, the Flyers were bold in ’23 in taking Michkov. But it’s worth noting that, of the 26 players the Flyers picked over those three years, just three have suited up for them so far: Michkov, Denver Barkey, and Jett Luchanko.

    It’s not just that the Flyers have had opportunities to mine the draft for elite talent and failed. It’s that they haven’t even stumbled into a late-round pick or two who ended up becoming cornerstones.

    A team that does not draft well cannot win. The Flyers have been proving that maxim true for a long time. No wonder their fans are so protective of the one player who represents even a glimmer of possible greatness.

  • Milton Williams never wanted to leave the Eagles. They never offered a contract, and the Patriots were the beneficiaries.

    Milton Williams never wanted to leave the Eagles. They never offered a contract, and the Patriots were the beneficiaries.

    SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Milton Williams was autographing Super Bowl LIX merchandise about a week after the Eagles routed the Kansas City Chiefs when general manager Howie Roseman sidled up next to him.

    Williams had four pressures, two sacks, and a forced fumble as he and his fellow linemen pounded quarterback Patrick Mahomes a year ago in New Orleans. Roseman had come to congratulate the defensive tackle, but also to intimate that the Eagles would not be offering a contract extension to the free-agent-to-be.

    “That was when all the players sign the Super Bowl merch,” Williams said to The Inquirer on Wednesday. “[Roseman’s message] was like, ‘Get the most you can.’ Once I heard that — and, meanwhile, I was talking to my agent about the deal — I thought, ‘They’re probably not going to offer.’” (Through an Eagles spokesman, Roseman confirmed that the exchange occurred.)

    Eccentric former Eagle Mack Hollins is fine if you call him a journeyman: ‘At least I got to do it my way’

    He was right. Williams said he was crushed. He said he wanted to stay in Philadelphia.

    “We had just won a Super Bowl. Of course I didn’t want to leave,” Williams said. “But I got to do what’s best for me. They had their agenda of what they wanted to accomplish, and I wasn’t part of it. So they let me go.”

    Williams ultimately signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots — the largest amount given to any free agent last offseason and the most in franchise history. He said he knew it would have been difficult for Roseman to match, but to him, the silence was deafening.

    Milton Williams (93) helped terrorize Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in his final game as an Eagle.

    “I wanted to see, like, what the interest was,” Williams said. “I had been there four years, giving all I can, playing hurt, putting my body on the line. It wasn’t business. I wanted to see what they had, but they probably knew I was out of their price range.

    “Still, an offer would have [meant] maybe they do want me to come back. No offer is ‘We good.’”

    Roseman had difficult decisions to make last offseason, particularly on the defensive line. The Eagles allowed end Josh Sweat and Williams to depart in free agency, with three first-round D-linemen slated for eventual pay increases.

    Tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis have yet to sign second contracts, but extensions could come this offseason. The Eagles also had the younger Moro Ojomo, a 2023 seventh-round pick, waiting in the wings.

    But for Williams and his father, Milton, Sr., the lack of an offer was a slight.

    “What pissed me off [is] they didn’t even offer him, offered nothing,” the elder Williams told The Inquirer. “They didn’t even entertain it. They just straight up told him — Howie Roseman said, ‘Milton, go get the bag, man, because we’re not going to be able to pay you.’

    “That’s what he said to my son. … My son — it was like he wanted to cry. He said, ‘Dad, all I do …’ I said, ‘I understand, son. It’s a business. You’ll get yourself something.’”

    Milton Williams (93) expected the Eagles to tender him an offer, but the team addressed other priorities.

    The younger Williams got plenty. But he desired more than just to increase his bank account balance, his father said. He wanted to be wanted by the organization that drafted him in 2021. Williams felt he never got the opportunity to show his abilities because he always had higher draft picks or high-priced free agents ahead of him.

    “They had their agenda. They drafted them boys in the first round and invested a lot of money in them boys,” Williams said. “I was a third-round pick, and they didn’t invest as much in me. That’s what I tell [my teammates], in the NFL it’s all about money. Money makes everything go. That’s how you see who’s going to play and what percentage of snaps.

    “It’s all about money, and I wasn’t making that much.”

    Williams is making a lot now. At $26 million per year, he’s behind only the Chiefs’ Chris Jones among NFL defensive tackles. The larger salary meant more playing time, but also more responsibility and more pressure.

    The Eagles didn’t return to the Super Bowl. But Sam Howell will be there to support his best friend, Drake Maye.

    The 26-year old has met and exceeded those expectations, according to most observers. He was at the center of the Patriots’ remarkable one-year turnaround — led by new coach Mike Vrabel — from basement-dwellers to the cusp of winning a championship.

    Williams is one of only three players on the team to have previously won a title and he would become just the fifth player in NFL history to win consecutive crowns with different teams if New England upsets the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Super Bowl LX.

    “About three weeks ago, Coach Vrabel asked everybody in the organization, ‘Who here was in this situation last year in the playoffs?’” Milton Williams Sr. said. “And my son was the only one to raise his hand in the entire organization — nobody, coaches, staff — nobody else in the playoffs.

    “That was powerful right there. And now they’re in the Super Bowl.”

    Milton Williams (97) and linebacker Christian Elliss (53) are two former Eagles who have helped turn the Patriots around.

    ‘He’s a grinder’

    Williams admitted that he initially felt some pressure when he inked his deal, which included $51 million guaranteed. But the Patriots had done their homework. Vrabel said he knew a lot about Williams’ character from pre-draft evaluations the Titans did when he was in Tennessee.

    “We did a lot of work on him coming out of the draft … and the type of person that he was, and the family that he’s come from,” Vrabel said Monday. “So we knew the person that we were going to get, and we were confident that he was somebody that we were going to add to our roster.”

    But it wasn’t until the Patriots actually got Williams in the building that they realized how hard he worked.

    “It was most surprising the more I’ve been around him,” defensive line coach Clint McMillan said. “There’s a lot of talented players, but how he’s wired is the thing that I was most excited about. He’s a grinder. He puts his nose down, and he keeps working. He’s never satisfied.”

    Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata reacts to Jeff Stoutland’s departure: ‘I’ve been crying about it.’

    Williams wasted little time making his presence felt. He had seven pressures in the season opener, according to NextGen Stats, and 32 total through 10 games with a 13% pressure rate that was among the best at his position.

    But he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 11 and missed the next five games. It was first time he had been sidelined by injury in his career. The Patriots suffered as a result, particularly in defending the run. When Williams was in the lineup, they held offenses to just 3.7 yards per carry. When he was out, they allowed an NFL-worst 5.0-yard average.

    “It was a big change because a lot of guys [offensive game-planners] were focused on where I was at,” Patriots defensive tackle and Neumann Goretti product Christian Barmore said of Williams’ absence. “But when he came back, it was an epic time because that man right there, he’s a good player. We already knew he brought a spark to our defense.”

    He’s elevated his performance in the postseason and had four pressures and two quarterback hits in the AFC championship game vs. the Broncos. He told The Inquirer that he was randomly tested for drugs after the game.

    “We don’t do drugs, man,” Milton Williams Sr. said. “We don’t do drugs right here. We work, man.”

    Vrabel has used Williams like a chess piece up front, having him swap sides in the interior and even occasionally jump out to the edge. Roseman highlighted Williams’ versatility when he drafted the Louisiana Tech prospect who lit up the NFL combine almost five years ago.

    But the majority of his snaps in Philly came at right defensive tackle because Fletcher Cox and Carter preferred to rush primarily from the left. Williams also wasn’t asked to take on a leadership role with the Eagles. He’s had to learn on the job in New England.

    “I was never the guy that you would come ask questions,” Williams said. “We had other vets on our team who had done it before. I’m only 26, but I’m one of vets in the room because of my experience playing — it’s crazy.

    “I’m just trying to spread the knowledge like some of the vets in Philly did when I was there.”

    Williams endured a slow start to Eagles career to eventually become a Super Bowl hero.

    ‘Make plays on this stage, it’ll change your life’

    Williams had some struggles as a rookie, and he and the team faced criticism because he was drafted just one pick after Alim McNeill, a bigger-bodied defensive tackle who became a high-impact rookie with the Detroit Lions. Senior scout Tom Donahoe preferred McNeill, and the Eagles were in position to draft him but traded down from No. 70 to No. 73 in exchange for a sixth-round pick. McNeill went 72nd, and the Eagles took Williams 73rd. Donahoe, who left the team in 2022, was caught by TV cameras begrudgingly shaking Roseman’s hand in the draft room after the pick was made.

    Roseman’s projection panned out, and Williams became one of the league’s more explosive interior rushers and a high-motor guy. But he often felt idle.

    “He would get frustrated because he was like, ‘Dad, I’m putting in my work,’” Milton Williams Sr. said. “I’ve been at practice before, and I see these guys and they can’t finish a drill and land on their backs or whatnot. And I see that, and he finished the drill and got 15, 20 seconds left still.

    “And I said, ‘I understand. But you know what? Whenever you’re on the field, make them call your name. Bottom line.’ That’s our saying right there: ‘If they’re calling your name on the field, that means you’re doing something.’”

    But when the Eagles extended their first- and second-round draft picks from 2021 — wide receiver DeVonta Smith and guard Landon Dickerson — after their third seasons, Williams wasn’t next in line. He thought he would be.

    “I was waiting. I was in the last year of my deal. I’m like, ‘It’s now or never,’” Williams said. “Every time I step out on the field, if I wanted to be there I was making sure I was making plays. But I was also putting out good tape for a situation like this.

    “If they don’t want me to sign [early], I was going to change that, and watch me be a professional and get better every year as a player.”

    Milton Williams (93) struggled at times as a rookie but would vindicate the Eagles’ decision to select him in the third round.

    Williams said he watched the Eagles regress without him this season. Their issues were many, but mostly on the offensive side. Williams said he kept in touch with various players and coaches and that Brandon Graham recently reached out to tell him he was proud of him.

    The Patriots have leaned on Williams’ knowledge of Super Bowl week since he had experienced it twice previously. Vrabel put together a roster of underdogs. Williams may be the highest-paid, but he knows how it feels to be overlooked.

    “We got a lot of guys who got released because they thought they weren’t good enough or they wanted to go in another direction,” Williams said. “So they got a lot of stuff in the back of their minds to motivate them and push them. ‘OK, you didn’t think I was good enough? I’ll show you.’ You make plays on this stage, it’ll change your life.

    “I did it.”

    unCovering the Birds, Season 2 Episode 2: Running up That Hill

    The journey started in Crowley, Texas, about a 20-minute drive south of Fort Worth. At Bicentennial Park, Williams would run hills with his father. He still goes back there to maintain the hunger he first had when he felt disregarded.

    “He’s had a chip on his shoulder all his life, from little league on up,” Milton Williams Sr. said. “He’s not the rah-rah type person. He’s just going to put the work in. And now that people are finally seeing what he can do, he’s just working. It ain’t over. They ain’t seen nothing.

    “They haven’t seen anything yet.”

  • Daryl Morey’s message to Joel Embiid and Sixers fans: Trust the Process

    Daryl Morey’s message to Joel Embiid and Sixers fans: Trust the Process

    Last week, with the trade deadline looming, Joel Embiid made a public plea to the 76ers’ front office. He begged them to ignore the luxury tax for once, and to get him the help he needs for what has turned into an unlikely impending playoff run.

    “In the past we’ve been, I guess, ducking the tax,” Embiid said last week. “So, hopefully, we think about improving. Because I think we have a chance.”

    Embiid made this plea knowing that Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Embiid himself cannot sustain their high level of play if they have to maintain such a high number of minutes.

    Embiid’s plea coincided with the 25-game drug suspension of fellow veteran and max-salary player Paul George, who, like Embiid, was rounding into form after more than a year of debilitating injury issues. George will not be eligible to return until only 10 games remain in the season.

    Embiid’s wishes made sense.

    Embiid’s wishes were not granted.

    Tyrese Maxey, Sixers teammates describe emotions watching Jared McCain traded at deadline: ‘It was a hard day’

    In fact, not only did the Sixers fail to make a significant move to improve the roster, they actually got worse: They traded last year‘s first-round pick, sharpshooter Jared McCain, for future draft picks.

    So, despite asking, and asking nicely, Embiid got no help.

    Daryl Morey’s message to Embiid:

    Trust the process.

    “I think we all wanted to add to the team, and, you know, we took his comments to heart,” the Sixers’ president said Friday.

    And?

    “We were trying to add to the team,” Morey said, “and we didn’t find a deal that made sense — one that we thought could move the needle on our ability to win this year.”

    So: Still processing.

    McCain trade

    Maxey is the team’s most important player, so he was never a trade consideration, but Morey acknowledged that both Edgecombe and Embiid were essentially untouchable, too.

    McCain was not untouchable. His departure provided salary-cap relief. Further, though, Morey painted McCain as a long-term project who might not develop faster than whomever the Sixers draft in June with the first-round pick the Sixers got in the trade.

    That seemed harsh. True, but harsh.

    Sixers guard Jared McCain was shipped after only playing one full season in Philly.

    As a rookie, McCain averaged 15.3 points in 23 games mostly as a bench player last season, which was cut short by injury. More injury issues limited his participation this season, and he was averaging just 6.6 points. Morey traded him Wednesday to Oklahoma City for the Thunder’s first-round pick in June, as well as three future second-round picks.

    McCain simply was not in the Sixers’ immediate plans, and Morey insisted that they would not have gotten a better return on McCain in the offseason.

    Morey also said the Sixers hoped to immediately flip some of the draft picks they received in the McCain deal and improve the team thus.

    There were no upgrades out there.

    Trading Jared McCain is a big risk, unless something bigger is in play

    The emergence of Dominic Barlow, who is starting in place of George, and the continued strong bench play of guard Quentin Grimes convinced him that there were no players available for a sensible asking price that would appreciably improve the Sixers.

    Certainly, there were no players that would have warranted the Sixers exceeding the luxury tax, though Sixers ownership had given him permission to spend whatever he needed to spend.

    “If we had found an [addition] and we were going to end up higher [than the tax], we would have ended up above it. We’ve done it several times,” Morey said. “We didn’t see something that did.”

    So: Still processing.

    The Process

    The catastrophic, scorched-earth strategy of rebuilding the Sixers, begun in 2013, eventually became known as “The Process.” Trusting in it became the mantra of both the franchise and a cult of devoted, long-suffering fans for whom no sacrifice was too outrageous.

    Embiid then hijacked the phrase as his nickname in 2016, after he’d missed his first two NBA seasons due to injury. Personalizing the phrase was an ostentatious act, but, considering the nature of his turbulent career, Embiid has come to embody it.

    Now, 13 years and five decision-makers later — Sam Hinkie, Bryan Colangelo, Brett Brown, Elton Brand, and Morey — the Sixers must ask their best player, the last vestige of The Process, to spend one of his twilight seasons hoping the current chapter of The Process has a happy ending.

    “This team, we think, can make a deep playoff run and is one of the top few teams in the East,” Morey said.

    He’s right.

    The Process has a window. It’s a small window, like that triangular side window on old cars, but it’s a window nevertheless.

    The Least of the East

    As of Friday night the Sixers stood sixth in a sagging Eastern Conference. Injury has diminished both the Celtics, who won the NBA title two years ago, and the Pacers, conference champs last season. The Pistons are in first place, 4½ games ahead of the flawed Knicks and Celtics, but nobody really believes in them. The Sixers are just one game behind the Raptors, who have five players averaging double figures, and 1½ games behind the Cavaliers, who, despite having won seven of their last eight games, were so desperate that they traded for — wait for it — 36-year-old James Harden.

    James Harden, formerly of the Sixers, was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    As predicted when Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered severe injuries in the 2025 playoffs, the East is weak and vulnerable. These are adjectives that often have been used to describe the 76ers during The Process.

    Now, though, the Sixers have won five of their last six games. They’ve ridden Maxey’s MVP campaign, Edgecombe’s Rookie of the Year campaign, and what would be Embiid’s Comeback Player of the Year campaign if the NBA had such an award.

    Can they keep it up? We won’t know for months whether the conference is so bad that even the Sixers can win it.

    So, until then: Still processing.

    You gotta believe

    “I believe in myself, so I’m always going to believe I have a chance, as long as I’m healthy,” Embiid told reporters Thursday night, after McCain had arrived in Oklahoma and no new player had joined the Sixers on the road in Los Angeles. “I believe that we can beat anybody. We hold down the fort until [George] comes back. He’s really needed. He’s irreplaceable.”

    He’s not in demand, though. League sources indicated that no team was interested in trading for George. No surprise there. At 35, not only is George suspended, but he is also owed almost $110 million over the next two seasons, and he has an injury history as bad as Embiid’s.

    That’s OK with the Sixers. George, when not taking banned substances, is probably still very good. Morey adores George, especially as a defensive difference-maker.

    “We really like what Paul gives us,” Morey said.

    Well, he won’t give them anything for the next 21 games. Which, for the moment, is exactly what the Sixers will get from the 2026 trade deadline.

    Process that.

  • A Flyers fan from Chile celebrated getting her U.S. citizenship by watching the team win: ‘It felt different’

    A Flyers fan from Chile celebrated getting her U.S. citizenship by watching the team win: ‘It felt different’

    Muriel Crescenzo finally earned her United States citizenship Tuesday morning, after more than three years of waiting and more than seven with her husband, James. On Tuesday evening, they celebrated by watching the Flyers take home a 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals.

    The Crescenzos met at the Okemo Mountain ski resort in Vermont in 2018. Muriel was working there for the season, and James was on a snowboarding trip. He’d fallen down on one of the hills, and Muriel came to help him. They instantly clicked, and James asked her out. They went on their first date at a bar called Mr. Darcy’s, in Ludlow, Vt., which Muriel said she felt was a sign — Pride and Prejudice is her favorite book and Mr. Darcy is a main character in it.

    So when Muriel returned to her home in Santiago, Chile, in the offseason, James, an Egg Harbor Township native, traveled to see her.

    “For me, it was no more winter,” he said. “In the winter, I would go to South America for three or four months, and I was working on a golf course, so you were laid off in the winter anyway. It actually worked perfectly.”

    Flyers hit the Olympic break at a crossroads. Will they sell for the future or try to push for the playoffs?

    The couple took turns visiting each other every year, with Muriel coming up to New Jersey and James heading down to see her in Chile. The two also took a number of international trips together, to London, Prague, Amsterdam, and Buenos Aires.

    But when the pandemic hit, those annual plans were upended, and the Crescenzos decided to start the process of getting married and getting Muriel permanent residency in the U.S. They got married in Las Vegas, and have been living in the Philadelphia area ever since. James is a lifelong Philly sports fan, and he has turned Muriel into one as well since their move back to the area.

    “When we first moved here, everything was just magical right away,” said James, 43. “That first year we saw [Michael] Lorenzen throw his no-hitter. Every Flyers game we went to, they would win in overtime, sudden death. It was always a magical, special game that first season. It’s been a little rough since, but we still believe.”

    Flyers national anthem singer Lauren Hart (left) meets James and Muriel Crescenzo at Tuesday’s game.

    So when Muriel, 34, got her naturalization interview date, they knew they wanted to celebrate at a Flyers game.

    “It felt different because I could sing the song,” Muriel said. “Before, I didn’t know it that well, the anthem. But now, I could sing it and I’m a part of it.”

    The Crescenzos even met Flyers anthem singer Lauren Hart, and of course, Gritty. They also got to take in a Flyers win.

    The next step will be going back to Chile to visit her family. During the citizenship application process, she was not allowed to leave the country, so the Crescenzos haven’t been able to take any international trips for more than three years.

    “We’re not worried anymore,” Muriel said. “I finally feel secure. We finally can be together. Nothing’s going to stop that happening.”

  • Penn searching for answers after its loss to No. 23 Princeton: ‘We need to find a little lightning’

    Penn searching for answers after its loss to No. 23 Princeton: ‘We need to find a little lightning’

    For the sixth straight season, Penn took a quiet bus ride home from Jadwin Gymnasium.

    On Friday, the Quakers (13-8, 3-5 Ivy League) took a familiar drive up I-95 to take on No. 23 Princeton (19-2, 7-1 Ivy League). Penn entered the game with confidence after beating Columbia, the only team in the Ivy League to take down Princeton, last weekend.

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    Despite impressive performances from Simone Sawyer (16 points ) and Mataya Gayle (16 points), the Penn women’s basketball team lost to Princeton for the 16th straight time. They fell, 69-50.

    “The seniors haven’t won a game against Princeton,” head coach Mike McLaughlin said. “Instead of pretending that didn’t happen, we addressed it like, ‘You could be the group that gets a win here.’ I think they were just disappointed.”

    Star Power

    A familiar narrative unfolded for Penn in the first half as Gayle jump-started the offense.

    Following a sluggish first frame, Gayle took over in the second quarter, dropping eight points to help Penn take a 30-28 halftime lead.

    “She made plays off the dribble,” McLaughlin said. “They struggled to contain her. She made some attack, kicks, penetration. We just couldn’t convert.”

    Katie Collins, Gayle’s most reliable second punch, didn’t have the same success — finishing with seven points and snapping her 13-game double-digit scoring streak against Princeton.

    Can’t guard Hutcherson

    Sawyer scored seven of Penn’s 11 points in the third quarter, but a flaming hot shooting performance from Princeton’s Olivia Hutcherson broke the game open for the Tigers.

    The 6-foot guard scored nine of her total 19 points in the third quarter. Hutcherson’s efforts were capped off by an assist for a three-pointer and layup from center Fadima Tall, opening the fourth with a 14-point lead and a Penn timeout.

    Penn couldn’t climb out of the hole, scoring only seven points in the final frame to finish with under 60 points for the third time in Ivy League Play.

    “We were tough the first half,” McLaughlin said. “There were moments of really good play there into half time up to start of the third. End of the third quarter started, they start to pull away a little bit… we just struggled to get stops from them.”

    Team Game

    The Tigers played seven players for over 16 minutes in the matchup, with three players scoring over 15. On the flip side, Penn kept a tighter rotation — with only six players playing over 15 minutes despite playing in a physically demanding 3-2 zone defense.

    “We’ve been working with them in practice trying to get that next kid or two,” McLaughlin said. “Honestly, they haven’t been overly productive in practice settings, to really get those minutes.”

    Penn coach Mike McLaughlin says his needs “to find a little lightning here” with less than a month left in the regular season.

    Four players scored in the double digits for the Quakers, but the end of the bench lacked punch as Saniah Caldwell and Brooke Suttle produced two points on six shots in a combined 47 total minutes.

    McLaughlin is actively waiting for someone on the roster to step up and keep the program’s Ivy League Championship hopes alive — and will be expanding the team’s guard rotation next week versus Cornell and Columbia.

    “We need to find a little lightning here,” McLaughlin said. “We need to find someone off the bench to get a basket for us. And I think this week’s a big week for that. We play back to back again. We’re not going to do it without someone stepping up. It’s not just two people. So see what this week looks like. But I’m with you. I think we need another person there, and that’s trying to connect.

    Up Next

    Penn looks to rebound on Friday against Cornell (8-12, 3-4 Ivy League) in Ithaca (6 p.m., ESPN+).

  • Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    Daryl Morey likes the Sixers’ chances in the East, but he understands skepticism around the Jared McCain trade

    The NBA trade deadline sparked movement among Eastern Conference contenders.

    James Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nikola Vučević landed with the Boston Celtics. The Detroit Pistons added Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić. And the New York Knicks acquired Jose Alvarado.

    All these moves were made to bolster those teams’ championship chances.

    Anyone expecting to see the sixth-seeded 76ers do the same were let down. In fact, star center Joel Embiid might have been among them after he expressed hope that the front office would avoid “ducking the tax” and instead focus on strengthening the roster to compete.

    Still, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey didn’t make any deals that netted a player. Instead, they traded Jared McCain and Eric Gordon in exchange for draft picks in what was viewed as an avenue to get under the luxury tax threshold for the fourth consecutive season.

    The Sixers trading Jared McCain will either be a head-scratcher or an embarrassment

    Morey spoke on Friday as if he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the rest of the conference’s attempts to improve on the margins.

    “We like our chances in the East,” Morey said. “We feel like we’re in the mix with the top teams there. Obviously, we’ve got to prove that on the court. But, just reiterating, we were looking to add, and we didn’t add. But we still believe in this team. … Folks have speculated on the improvements of our East competitors. I don’t see it, personally. I think all the teams made moves at the deadline, but there weren’t any needle-movers, in my opinion.”

    Pressed about his no “needle-movers” comment, Morey was reminded that Harden’s migration to Cleveland from the Los Angeles Clippers is regarded as a blockbuster deal. Does he believe that the Cavaliers trading for Harden, who is familiar with from stints together with the Sixer Houston Rockets, doesn’t move the needle?

    “I don’t want to talk about specific teams,” Morey said. “I’m just saying, I mean, objectively, teams in the East, the array is similar. Like, if you were to look at teams’ chances before and after — that’s my opinion. I think people can have differences of opinion.”

    Former Sixer James Harden is coming back to the East as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    That said, Morey understands the disappointment among Sixers fans who have witnessed him make moves to duck below the tax threshold for several years at the trade deadline. This gives the impression that saving money for managing partner Josh Harris is more critical than contending for a title. The team comes off looking cheap, especially as Embiid’s championship window continues to shrink.

    “I’d say we were trying to add to the team and we didn’t find a deal that made sense that we thought could move the needle on our ability to win this year,” he said. “The CBA pressures were felt up and down the league.”

    Morey said the Sixers traded Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday in exchange for a 2032 second-round pick swap to create space to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal.

    Joel Embiid keeps his reaction to Sixers’ trade deadline politically correct: ‘I believe in myself’

    According to Spotrac, the team is now $1.7 million below the tax level. The Sixers also have $3.9 million in cap space under the first apron. Morey said that because of the first apron, they had to move to create that opportunity for Barlow.

    “But that wasn’t the primary reason for the Jared deal,” he said. “We see Jared as somebody that’s more likely to help a team in the future.”

    Yet the Sixers shipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-round selections. One of the second-rounders is the most favorable 2027 pick from the Thunder, Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and the Miami Heat. The other second-rounders are 2028 picks that previously belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks and Thunder.

    In June, Morey expressed confidence in the Sixers’ deep and versatile backcourt rotation of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and McCain. He likened it to the guard-heavy style used by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers to reach last season’s NBA Finals.

    Sixers president Daryl Morey believes former guard Jared McCain has a chance to be a good player in the future.

    McCain was exceptional in his rookie season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in December 2024. But he struggled with consistency this season, leaving him out of the rotation.

    Did the Sixers lose faith in the second-year guard?

    “I wouldn’t say that. No,” Morey said. “I think he has a tremendous future. Sort of the whole thing with people who don’t like the deal is they’ll leave off the return, minimize this draft, which we think is good, and things like that. … That return is for a starter-quality player on a good team. It’s actually above that. We do a lot of analysis on how we think things will play out both here and around the league going forward, in terms of the quality of play. What kinds of returns will there be for what players in the future?

    “And the bottom line is, Jared is a player who’s a great future bet and a potential great player. We wish him luck. We feel that this returns sets us up better to set up the team in the future.”

    Sixers takeaways: Second half turnovers, Joel Embiid’s scoring and more in loss to Lakers

    While it’s not a primary focus, the Sixers think the first-round pick can be used to make moves around the upcoming draft. Morey also believes they can use the three second-rounders to move up the draft.

    But that doesn’t address the team’s needs for the remainder of the season. They offered the picks they received from OKC to other teams.

    “Nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now,” Morey said. “But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”

    Sixers guard Eric Gordon during warm ups before the Sixers played the New York Knicks on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in Philadelphia.

    While Morey mentioned that he had authorization to go over the tax, this was the fourth straight year that the Sixers made moves to get under the luxury tax, even after Embiid’s comments.

    “I understand the perception,” Morey said. “I hope to defeat it by finding a deal that I can go to ownership and say, ‘We think this move is the right move to do for that and create those apron issues.’ But I haven’t been able to recommend that move yet.”

    At this moment, however, Morey wants to talk about the solid players that the Sixers currently have on the roster.

    He’ll remind you that Embiid is rounding into form. Morey will mention that Maxey took a leap to becoming an All-Star starter. And he’ll tell you that Kelly Oubre Jr. is playing the best basketball of his career.

    “We love the bigs we have with Joel, [Andre Drummond and Adem] Bona,“ he said. ”We feel like guys are contributing up and down the roster. Coach [Nick] Nurse has done a tremendous job putting us in with the top few teams in the East in terms of how we’re playing. So that’s why we understand the fan reaction. Obviously, the big move was with Jared. Because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal No 1.”

  • The Milan Cortina Olympics officially open with a multisite ceremony for a spread-out Winter Games

    The Milan Cortina Olympics officially open with a multisite ceremony for a spread-out Winter Games

    MILAN, Italy — Featuring tributes to da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, pasta and vino, and other iconic tastes of Italian culture — plus Mariah Carey hitting all the high notes in “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” aka “Volare” — an unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron opening ceremony got the Milan Cortina Olympics officially started Friday.

    Allowing athletes to participate in the Parade of Nations at the mountain locales for the most spread-out Winter Games in history created what perhaps was an unintended consequence: Zero competitors from any of the first five countries announced actually showed up at the main hub, Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium.

    While signs bearing the names of Greece — which always leads the procession as the birthplace of the Olympics — Albania, Andorra, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina were carried into the home of Serie A soccer titans AC Milan and Inter Milan, there were no athletes from those places around. Instead, they were participating at simultaneous festivities held at Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomites, Livigno in the Alps, and Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.

    Philly connections to the Winter Olympics, from a young figure skater to Donovan McNabb’s niece

    The first country with athletes at San Siro was Armenia — and their entrance drew raucous cheers from a crowd filled with 61,000 ticket-holders plus others.

    Later, a smattering of boos met Israel’s four representatives at the Milan ceremony. There have been some calls for Israel to be banned from the Olympics over the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack in October 2023.

    And while athletes from the U.S. were cheered when they appeared, Vice President JD Vance was jeered when he was shown briefly on the arena’s video boards from his spot in the tribune. Support for the United States among its allies has been eroding as the Trump administration has taken an aggressive posture on foreign policy, including punishing tariffs, military action in Venezuela and threats to invade Greenland.

    The contingent from Venezuela got a big backing when entering. So did that from Ukraine, where a war continues four years after Russia invaded.

    The ceremony’s organizers have said they sought to convey themes of harmony and peace, seeking to represent the city-mountain dichotomy of the particularly unusual setup for these Olympics while also trying to appeal to a sense of unity at a time of global tensions. South African actor Charlize Theron and Italian rapper Ghali delivered messages of peace toward the end of the night.

    “I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful,” new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said when asked this week about possible crowd reactions.

    The loudest greeting was reserved, naturally, for host Italy, which walked in last, to an electronic version of The Barber of Seville.

    The ceremony was already nearly three hours old — and not yet done — by the time Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially declared the Milan Cortina Games open following a speech by Coventry, the first woman to lead the IOC.

    “Thank you for believing in the magic of the Olympic Games,” she said, then several minutes later made sure to make mention of the “media rights holders” who pay to broadcast the event.

    Soon, tenor Andrea Bocelli’s voice was belting out Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” and its closing refrain of “Vincerò,” Italian for “I will win!” As he concluded, torch bearers headed out of the arena to light a cauldron at the Arch of Peace, 2½ miles from San Siro.

    One symbol of how far-flung things are at these Olympics: Instead of the usual one cauldron that is lit and burns throughout the Games, there were going to be two, both intended as an homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric studies. The other is 250 miles away in Cortina.

    All three flame-lighters — Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan, and Sofia Goggia in Cortina — are Olympic champion Alpine ski racers from Italy. Tomba and Compagnoni are retired; Goggia is entered in the 2026 Games.

    The full collection of competition venues for the next two-plus weeks dot an area of about 8,500 square miles, roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey. The multicity ceremony format Friday allowed up-in-the-mountains sports such as Alpine skiing, bobsled, curling, and snowboarding to be represented without requiring folks to make the several-hours-long trek to Milan.

    It didn’t exactly feel like a Winter Games in the country’s financial capital, where the temperature was a tad below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sky was a crisp, clear azure all afternoon Friday. Not a trace of clouds, let alone snow.

    As Italy welcomed the world by displaying symbols of its heritage, the show produced by Olympic ceremony veteran Marco Balich began with dancers from the academy of the famed Milan opera house Teatro alla Scala reimagining 18th-century sculptor Antonio Canova’s marble works.

    Singer Mariah Carey performs during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

    People wearing oversized, mascot-style heads representing opera composers Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, and Giuseppe Verdi appeared on the central stage, before giant paint tubes floated above and dropped silk of red, blue, and yellow — the primary colors — before an early parade of various-color-wearing characters arrived in the stadium. They represented music and art, literature, and architecture, appreciations for beauty and history and, above all, La Dolce Vita (loosely, Italian for “The Good Life” and the name of a 1960 film by Federico Fellini).

    There were references to ancient Rome, the Renaissance, the Venice Carnival, and the country’s noted traditions in various areas such as cuisine and literature, such as Pinocchio and Dante’s Inferno.

    A runway walk showcased outfits — created by the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died last year at 91 — in the colors of Italy’s flag: red, green, and white. And balladeer Laura Pausini sang Italy’s national anthem.

    Carey got loud cheers in Milan as she sang in Italian. In Cortina, hundreds of fans sang along with her, and a roar emerged when they realized she was performing the song with the “Volare” refrain.

    Another local touch: Italian actor Sabrina Impacciatore, of White Lotus fame, led a segment that took viewers through a century of past Olympics, with examples of evolving equipment, sportswear, and music. And actor and comedian Brenda Lodigiani demonstrated the popular Italian hand gestures often used to communicate in place of words.

    Team United States enters the stadium during Friday’s opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
  • Tyrese Maxey, Sixers teammates describe emotions watching Jared McCain traded at deadline: ‘It was a hard day’

    Tyrese Maxey, Sixers teammates describe emotions watching Jared McCain traded at deadline: ‘It was a hard day’

    LOS ANGELES — While on the 76ers’ bus heading to the San Francisco airport Wednesday morning, Jared McCain approached his teammates to reveal that he had been traded.

    “It was just like, ‘All right, whatever. He’s just joking,’” All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey recalled. “Calls start coming in, and then you realize it’s real.”

    That is the human side of the trade deadline, which takes a backseat to the business focuses of asset acquisition, luxury tax ducking, and trying to enhance (or tear down) a roster for the stretch run and playoffs.

    The Sixers trading Jared McCain will either be a head-scratcher or an embarrassment

    The record will show that the second-year guard was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick and other draft compensation. Yet the Sixers abruptly lost a teammate in the middle of a five-game Western Conference road trip more than three months into the regular season. McCain, a fan favorite, also was popular inside the Sixers’ locker room, as somebody who brought positive vibes whether he was enjoying a breakout start to his rookie season or struggling to regain form following knee and thumb surgeries.

    “It’s a harsh business and I know you have to try to take emotions out of it,” starting forward Dominick Barlow said of McCain, on the same day his two-way contract was converted to a standard deal. “But it’s kind of difficult. … It was a hard day.”

    Maxey was the first Sixers to speak publicly about McCain’s “emotional” departure, calling him his “little brother.”

    Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey looked like the Sixers’ backcourt of the future only one year ago.

    The 25-year-old “veteran” in this relationship was quickly taken by McCain’s combination of personality and diligence to his craft, saying that “anybody that worked that hard, for me, is going to be somebody that I probably gravitate to.” When Paul George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, Maxey called McCain to encourage him to seize the opportunity. And Maxey said last Saturday that he was proud of how McCain had “fought his way out of a little funk” in his comeback from injury, shooting 15-of-26 from three-point range in his final six games before being traded.

    Also hit particularly hard by the news were Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, who also were part of McCain’s 2024-25 rookie class.

    Edwards has known McCain since they were roommates as teenagers at Steph Curry’s basketball camp. He said McCain has “always been the same person, honestly” (and “more than just a TikToker,” Edwards emphasized to The Inquirer). Even after the Sixers’ loss at the Los Angeles Lakers more than 24 hours later, Bona was “still processing” an “unreal” day.

    “It’s kind of hard to understand,” Bona told The Inquirer, “but it’s part of the business.”

    Joel Embiid keeps his reaction to Sixers’ trade deadline politically correct: ‘I believe in myself’

    Once teammates grasped that McCain was leaving, they tried to “make him laugh, even though it’s a tough situation,” Edwards said. Coach Nick Nurse briefly spoke to McCain as he got off the bus, assuring the 21-year-old that he would be successful with the Thunder. Another member of the traveling party told The Inquirer that McCain shed tears on the tarmac before the Sixers boarded their flight to Los Angeles.

    “Obviously developed enough of a relationship that I care about him and wish him a lot of luck,” Nurse said before Thursday’s game at the Lakers. “ … Then I kind of move on, because there was a lot of people wanting to talk to him.”

    The emotions hit Maxey again when he woke up for Thursday’s shootaround, realizing he would not see “JMac” downstairs at the team hotel. Bona had a similar reaction when he and rookie VJ Edgecombe went to perform a silly pregame ritual of attempting to juggle the basketball, and McCain was not there to join them as usual. Ditto for when it was time for pregame chapel — a staple for several of the Sixers’ younger players — and it felt like the group “wasn’t complete” without McCain, Bona said. McCain would often round up his teammates whenever they lost track of time.

    “Tonight I looked up,” Bona said, “and I’m like, ‘Ah, Jared would have called me right now.’ But he wasn’t here to call me.”

    Sixers players Jared McCain and Adem Bona developed a deep bond as members of the same draft class.

    By tipoff against the Lakers, however, the Sixers needed to move forward with the players still on the roster. Maxey and star center Joel Embiid encouraged McCain to use being traded as a fresh start with the defending NBA champions. They will all reunite on March 23, when the Thunder visit Philly.

    Still, Maxey leaned into the human side of the trade deadline, acknowledging that “a lot of people in this organization were sad to see [McCain] go.”

    “He’s got a fan in me for life,” Maxey said. “A brother in me for life.”

  • Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna has aggravated assault charge dropped

    Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna has aggravated assault charge dropped

    Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna remains in hot water after allegedly assaulting a 21-year-old male last weekend in State College. But the temperature cooled a bit on Friday after prosecutors dropped the felony aggravated assault charge against McKenna, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

    The decision comes two days after McKenna, 18, was charged with aggravated assault and three other related crimes for allegedly punching a man outside of a parking garage in the 100 block of South Pugh Street in State College. The altercation came hours after McKenna had played and tallied a goal and two assists in No. 6 Penn State’s 5-4 overtime loss to No. 2 Michigan State in the first-ever outdoor hockey game at Beaver Stadium.

    Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, a top 2026 NHL draft prospect, charged with assault

    “In order to establish probable cause for the crime of Aggravated Assault, the Commonwealth must establish that a person acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or acted recklessly under circumstances showing an extreme indifference to the value of human life,“ read Friday’s statement from the Centre County District Attorney’s Office.

    ”Both the District Attorney’s Office and the State College Police Department have reviewed video evidence of this incident and do not believe that a charge of Aggravated Assault is supported by the evidence. Accordingly, the District Attorney’s Office will be withdrawing the felony count of Aggravated Assault and correcting the record regarding the injuries suffered by the victim. A review of the video does not support a conclusion that Gavin McKenna acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or with reckless indifference to the value of human life.”

    According to State College Police, McKenna allegedly punched a man in the face twice Saturday night, resulting in a fractured jaw that required corrective surgery. The altercation came after an exchange of words between the victim and his friends and McKenna. Friday’s statement clarified that the man did not lose a tooth as previously reported and confirmed that the victim is recovering from surgery.

    Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna in in the top 20 in the nation in scoring with 32 points.

    While the aggravated assault charge was the most severe charge that McKenna faced, and carried a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, he is still facing a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, as well as charges of harassment and disorderly conduct for fighting. The simple assault charge carries a maximum of two years in prison, while fines are attached to the three remaining charges.

    McKenna, who was released on $20,000 unsecure bail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 11 at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa.

    Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is once again stating his case to be the No. 1 overall pick

    Penn State sent the following statement to The Inquirer after the charges were filed on Wednesday: “We are aware that charges have been filed; however, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not have any further comment.”

    The Inquirer also attempted to reach out to McKenna’s adviser, Pat Brisson of CAA, but has yet to receive a response.

    McKenna, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, is ranked No. 1 on the NHL’s 2026 Central Scouting list among North American skaters. The Penn State freshman, who was considered one of the biggest college hockey recruits ever, has 11 goals and 32 points in 24 games this season for the Nittany Lions. McKenna’s playing status is currently unknown, with Penn State’s next game scheduled for Feb. 13 at Michigan.

  • NBA trade deadline grades: No top marks for Sixers after Jared McCain and Eric Gordon deals

    NBA trade deadline grades: No top marks for Sixers after Jared McCain and Eric Gordon deals

    The NBA trade deadline produced a frenzy of deals around the league, but the dust has finally settled. The 76ers were one of the least active teams at the deadline, only making two trades before 3 p.m. on Thursday. However, one of those trades garnered plenty of reaction.

    Guard Jared McCain won Sixers fans over as a rookie in 2024-25 as he was a rare bright spot in an otherwise trying season. The 16th overall pick out of Duke averaged 15.3 points across 23 contests before a torn meniscus in his right knee ended his season.

    McCain struggled to find his footing this season. He missed the first six games and made his season debut against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 4, where he missed all four of his shots. However, he did show flashes of his rookie self, including scoring 17 points on 6 of 8 shooting against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 27.

    The Sixers trading Jared McCain will either be a head-scratcher or an embarrassment

    But with the Sixers searching for roster flexibility and a way to duck under the luxury tax, they decided to trade McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-round picks.

    The Sixers also moved on from guard Eric Gordon, who played in just six games, along with a 2032 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies.

    The trades cleared a roster spot for Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to be converted to a standard contract.

    Here are how some of the national media outlets are grading the Sixers’ moves.

    ESPN: B+/B

    ESPN gave the Sixers a B+ for the McCain trade as they accomplished multiple logistical goals with the move. The trade got the the team below the luxury tax line, cleared a roster spot to convert Barlow’s contract, and gave them future flexibility to re-sign guard Quentin Grimes. The Thunder received the same grade on their end of the deal.

    “After adding VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes to All-Star Tyrese Maxey in the past year, Philadelphia’s roster got crowded, part of the reason McCain hasn’t played many minutes this season,” wrote Kevin Pelton. “Turning McCain into draft picks not only gets Philadelphia below the luxury tax line but probably makes it easier to make additional deals, whether before Thursday’s trade deadline or this offseason.”

    Tyrese Maxey (0) walks up the court against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2.

    ESPN graded the Gordon move as a B, as he had not made much of an impact on the court this year. The veteran has not played since Christmas and has played 74 total minutes this season. The Sixers now have three open roster spots after the trade, giving them plenty of room to convert two-way deals or sign a free agent.

    The Athletic: B

    Zach Harper of The Athletic was much more fond of the McCain trade from the Thunder’s point of view as opposed to the Sixers. He gave the Sixers a B for moving on from McCain in year two while Oklahoma City got an A for adding a potentially valuable bench player with two and a half years of control.

    The Sixers got under the tax and took a small step back at the NBA trade deadline

    “The good news is the Sixers are good now, so they didn’t need him nearly as much to play well. If he can’t be the player we saw in his rookie season, then that Houston pick should be pretty easy to use to replace him,” Harper wrote. “If he can be that player again, then Philadelphia doing this to not pay the luxury tax in a decent season makes nailing that Houston pick pretty big.”

    Yahoo! Sports: B-

    Morton Stig Jensen of Yahoo! Sports was critical of general manager Daryl Morey’s decision to trade McCain and praised Thunder general manager Sam Presti. Jensen gave the Sixers a B- for getting below the luxury tax, but described it as a “pity grade.” He gave Oklahoma City an A+ for filling its need for floor spacing.

    “Trading away young, cheap pieces, when you have that much money tied up in Joel Embiid and Paul George is just not a position they want to be in,” Jensen wrote. “So this is all about the finances, which is both boring and discouraging.”

    “So, sure, Philly, congrats on avoiding the tax bill, I guess.”

    Joel Embiid celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

    Sports Illustrated: C

    Austin Krell of Sports Illustrated gave the Sixers a C. He also looked at the deal as a win for them from the financial side, but a big risk for giving up on McCain’s upside. The Thunder received a B for getting another shooter in their push for back-to-back championships.

    “This seems like a clear indication that the Sixers viewed McCain as someone whose stock would drop if they kept him,” Krell wrote. “If we want to look at it from a financial perspective, he’s maybe the only player you could’ve moved that would’ve accomplished the goal of dodging the luxury tax while also netting actual assets in return.”