After an offseason that saw Zach Spiker’s squad lose four of its five starters to the transfer portal, the Dragons went 6-7 in nonconference play, dropping all three of their Big 5 matchups in the process. The team started its Coastal Athletic Conference campaign looking for relief but was confronted with more of the same: It lost three in a row to tip off conference play. The season looked like a loss.
Then, on Jan. 8, a switch seemed to flip. The Dragons shut down Stony Brook, limiting the Seawolves to just 37 points in a win. From there, Drexel started rattling off victories powered by its defense, winning six of seven games to move into conference contention. The Dragons have held opponents to an average of 56.3 points over that stretch
Drexel (12-11, 6-4 CAA) is in a tie for third place ahead of Thursday’s matchup (7 p.m., FloSports) at Campbell (10-13, 4-6). The Dragons will receive a first-round bye in the CAA Tournament if they stay in the top four.
The potential for the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2021 has offered some guarded optimism for the Dragons.
“I don’t feel a recent surge in excitement and fun after winning,” junior guard Shane Blakeney said. “We’re all taking a deep breath like this is what it should have been like. We’re frustrated because we should have been playing like this, and we also still feel like we haven’t played our best yet.”
Added junior guard Kevon Vanderhorst: “We’re constantly learning through our losses … It’s not necessarily that we’ve just had a reawakening. It’s [that] we’ve been learning the whole time.”
In their last outing on Saturday, Drexel outlasted North Carolina A&T, 61-60, in a slugfest that came down to the final whistle.
With no timeouts and down by one point, the Dragons had to advance the length of the court in 3.2 seconds. After a bit of backcourt misdirection, the ball was inbounded to Vanderhorst. The guard beat his defender down the court, converting a contested scoop at the buzzer to win the game.
“We practice shots like that … three seconds on the clock, somebody has to go get a bucket,” Vanderhorst said. “In terms of just our process, nothing really has changed here.”
Although the team has practiced that situation countless times, hitting the buzzer-beater in a game garnered national attention. Vanderhorst’s sprint to the bucket landed third on SportsCenter’s daily top 10 plays feature.
“It’s definitely been a surreal moment,” Vanderhorst said. “I think that’s the perfect word for it. Growing up, SportsCenter top 10 is that show you turn on in the morning [when] you want to see all the highlights from the day before.”
Vanderhorst, who is averaging 9.6 points, is part of an offense that boasts five players scoring eight or more points per game. Blakeney averages a team-high 13.3 points. The balanced offensive approach has made it difficult for opposing defenses to focus on a single player.
“Our coaches recruited talent. It’s shown in a lot of plays especially through this stretch of the season,” Blakeney said. “Teams can’t really be surprised when we play together — we look good. … We play fast, play connected.”
Drexel has been dominant defensively. The program logged the best defensive effective field goal percentage in the NCAA during January. Since the start of conference play, Drexel is allowing an average of 6.8 fewer points than Hampton, the CAA’s second best statistical defense.
Despite the team’s prowess on defense, not one Drexel player can be found in the top 10 in total steals or blocks among CAA players since the beginning of conference play. Like the offense, Drexel’s suffocating defense has been a team effort.
The Dragons have had the luxury of not leaving campus in two weeks, playing their last three at home. Starting with Campbell on Thursday, though, five of their final eight games are away. Despite boasting a 10-3 record at home, the team is a combined 2-8 in away and neutral games.
“I think this home stretch was nice because it’s given us confidence a little bit,” Vanderhorst said. “In those past games that we had away in Monmouth and Towson, I think dudes were really just getting the hang of sticking together through adversity.
“[Doing that] on the road and [in] those environments is super important, so I don’t think it’s anything that needs to change. I think we’ve kind of gotten the hang of it now.”
Baseball is almost back. Spring training will officially start on Wednesday when pitchers and catchers are due to report to the Phillies’ facilities in Clearwater, Fla. Phillies writer Lochlahn March took to Reddit to answer all your questions before camp starts.
Here are a few highlights …
(Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
The Phillies are expected to move on from Nick Castellanos going into the last year of his contract.
Q: Any surprises for the opening day roster? What moves are left before spring training?
A: The Phillies still need to find a resolution for Nick Castellanos. They’ve been open about finding a change of scenery for him, which should happen soon through a trade or release. Other than that, I think other additions before spring training, if any, would be depth minor-league signings.
As far as surprises, I think the battle for the last two bullpen spots could get interesting. The Phillies have some newcomers from trades, minor league signings, and a Rule 5 selection, who will all be in contention.
Q: Is Aidan Miller expected to be up this year?
A: It’s possible. After Trea Turner’s improvements defensively last year, I don’t see him moving off shortstop any time soon, but the Phillies are planning to get Miller some reps at other infield positions — third base and possibly some second — this spring.
If he starts this season the way he ended last season, I’d expect him to be at the top of the list in triple A in the event of an injury or other opening on the major league infield.
It’s important to remember that if Miller is on the major league team, he will be playing every day. He won’t be called up to sit on the bench, so even if the Phillies deem him ready, they will wait for the right opportunity.
Q: What does Crawford’s skill set and rookie season look like? Could he be the throwback leadoff hitter this team needs?
A: Lots has been made about Justin Crawford’s high ground-ball rate, and it remains to be seen how that will translate to the major league level, and whether his speed — which is one of his best attributes — can offset that. He’s an aggressive hitter and makes a lot of contact.
I would be very surprised to see him at leadoff to start the season. It’s already a lot of pressure to hand him the keys to the outfield, not to mention sticking him at the top of the order right away. It’s also a good thing to have a guy with that hitting profile who can steal a lot of bases in the lower half of the order to lengthen the lineup.
Q: What are the internal expectations for Jean Cabrera and Michael Mercado?
A: The Phillies have pretty thin starting depth in the minors at the moment, and Jean Cabrera would likely be one option in case of an injury to the rotation this year. Mercado is relief depth. He was non-tendered this winter but re-signed to a minor league deal. They both will be at major league camp next week, and I expect both to likely wind up in triple A.
Q: Who might be this year’s Weston Wilson/Kody Clemens/Brad Miller/Otto Kemp emerging role player type?
A: I think the Phillies hope Dylan Moore could occupy a similar role that Weston Wilson did last season, and he provides a ton of versatility defensively.
As far as emerging players, one name to keep an eye on is Gabriel Rincones Jr. The Phillies like the pop in his bat, but he has a real drawback at the plate against left-handed pitching. I could see him getting his feet wet in the majors at some point this year, but it would most likely have to be in a platoon role.
Q: Who do you expect to get an increased role on the team this season?
A: I’m going to go with Otto Kemp. His name is one that Dave Dombrowski has brought up a lot this offseason. I expect him to get a chance to play some more left field, probably as a platoon partner for Brandon Marsh. Kemp had some offseason surgeries to clean up his shoulder and address a bone fragment in his knee that he’d been playing through since June, but he should be ready to go for spring training. I’m interested in seeing what he can do when he’s fully healthy.
Q: On a scale of minor inconvenience to major life-altering issue, how concerned should we feel about Bryce Harper and his possible decline?
A: I think Bryce Harper is extremely motivated this season. He started hitting this winter earlier than he normally does — part of that is because he’s preparing to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but I think there’s another part, too. His 2025 didn’t live up to his (very high) standards, and he’s an extremely competitive person. Also remember: He was dealing with a wrist injury for part of last season. I wouldn’t be concerned about a decline just yet.
Q: … Knowing Zack Wheeler won’t be ready for the start of the season, what are the odds he just retires before returning and we’ve already seen the last of him?
A: Wheeler has been open about expecting to retire at the end of his contract, which runs through 2027. It would be a major surprise if Wheeler didn’t return before then. His rehab this offseason by all accounts has been going well. The latest update from a couple of weeks ago was that he was throwing up to 90 feet.
Q: Will Garrett Stubbs be back as the third catcher in triple A?
A: This year, the backup catching battle isn’t as cut-and-dried, as Stubbs and Rafael Marchán are out of options. Whoever does not make the team will have to be designated for assignment and pass through waivers to report to triple A.
How do you live down a mistake that will stick with you for, well, probably forever? Laughing at yourself isn’t a bad place to start, at least after all the initial feelings and impulses — anger, disappointment, self-flagellation — washed over you.
When Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first official workout Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla., it will have been 125 days since Kerkering bobbled a comebacker at his feet, tried to get an out at home instead of at first base, and lobbed it over Realmuto’s outstretched mitt, ending the Phillies’ season in the 11th inning of the fourth game of the division series.
It wasn’t the reason they lost to the Dodgers. It probably wasn’t even among the top 10 reasons. But it was only the second time ever that a playoff series ended on an error, and in the age of social media, clips of Kerkering’s blunder were everywhere.
Orion Kerkering’s errant throw to home plate ended the Phillies’ playoff run in Game 4 of the divisional round last season.
“No matter what you do, whether it’s the internet, just basic browsing — even looking up a recipe or something — it’s going to be there. It’s like the first thing,” Kerkering said this week on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “It’s going to always be brought up. You can’t get around it. It’s always going to be stuck there.
“But I don’t want it to like define who I am as a ballplayer in the future.”
It shouldn’t define Kerkering, who has already made 136 appearances in the majors despite not turning 25 until April. But relievers, like football kickers, tend to be remembered for their missteps. Ask Mitch Williams. Brad Lidge, too.
Kerkering faced his head-on. After the game, he stood before a wall of cameras and, with red and swollen eyes, broke down what happened. Then, rather than jetting off to an island in the middle of the ocean to get a respite from seeing his errant throw over and over, he stayed in South Jersey until the week before Thanksgiving.
“I thought it was just important to kind of embrace what happened a little bit and just try to be in the area and not run away from your problems,” Kerkering said. “Just trying to understand why everything happened and try to digest everything in that moment.”
Kerkering didn’t know how people who recognized him in Wawa or at the gym would react. He found it to be quite the opposite of Williams, who received death threats after the Joe Carter homer in 1993, and recently deposed Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, whose South Jersey house was egged in the midst of a December losing streak.
“It was just like, ‘Hey, you’re all good; we believe in you,’ and stuff like that,” Kerkering said. “What kind of took me off-guard is how many people, they know you messed up, they know you can do better next time, but how kind of supportive they are.”
Support came from other sources. Dave Dombrowski said the Phillies would offer the pitcher “whatever assistance he needs,” and Kerkering said the team’s mental health staff checked in on him. He heard from friends and former teammates and coaches.
At first, Kerkering avoided looking at his phone. But his dad, a sniper for 20 years in the Marines before becoming the emergency manager for the police department in Sarasota, Fla., has a saying that resonated.
“You’ve got to rip the Band-Aid off,’” Kerkering said. “It’s going to hurt, obviously. But the slower you do it, the more it’s going to be painful.”
After a week, Kerkering rewatched the play. He realizes now that he had more time than he thought after bobbling the ball and should’ve taken the easier out at first base. He has been told that he tends to rush things on the mound. It’s a flaw. It’s also correctable.
Lidge reached out, too, almost immediately. Although he and Kerkering hadn’t previously met, Lidge could relate. Three years before throwing the clinching pitch of the 2008 World Series for the Phillies, while with the Astros he gave up a crushing playoff homer to Albert Pujols. In 2009, he blew a save in the World Series against the Yankees.
“We had a good conversation, just kind of him explaining his experiences,” Kerkering said. “Everyone takes their time of getting over that hump. Some days are good, some days are bad. It’s how you get over that hump, even just in regular day-to-day life where it’s like, ‘What can you do to get over it?’
“Because it’s going to linger no matter what. But how can you internally fix it or fix that mindset moving forward?”
“We’ve all made mistakes. Mine just so happened to be in front of whatever, 10 million people,” says Orion Kerkering.
But Kerkering remains. He dominated in May and June, looking like a future closer. But the Phillies traded for star closer Jhoan Duran at the deadline in July, and Kerkering struggled through the summer. He regained his mojo late in the season and appeared in all four playoff games against the Dodgers.
“I don’t think I really had that good of a year,” said Kerkering, who finished with a 3.30 ERA in 60 innings. “It’s like, be more consistent with the heater, be more consistent with the sinker, get the sweeper back to what it was in ’23, ’24, how dominant it was, and kind of get more guys to swing.”
Team officials believe in Kerkering’s stuff. As important, they believe in his head.
Kerkering is aware of his reputation within the clubhouse as “a goofy kind of kid.” Former Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman once described him as having “no filter” and keeping everyone on their toes with what comes out of his mouth next.
Teammates say Kerkering takes his job seriously, but not himself. So, rather than dwelling on a season-ending mistake, he’s intent on learning from it — and occasionally making light of it.
“You just kind of live and forget with it,” Kerkering said. “We’ve all made mistakes. Mine just so happened to be in front of whatever, 10 million people, between watching it, hearing about it around the whole country. However you want to look at it, it [stinks].
“But I think, just overall, it’s like, if that’s how someone wants to define you, then let them. But I’m not going to let it define me.”
Trading McCain is a big risk, especially since the Sixers didn’t make any other significant moves, according to columnist David Murphy.
After drawing all the attention, Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks, who will consider trading him in the offseason.
Next up on the calendar is the NBA All-Star game, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15. Tyrese Maxey will be a starter.
// Pinned
// Timestamp 02/05/26 3:01pm
Trade deadline passes with Sixers making two minor moves
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey didn’t get any help at the trade deadline.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone without the Sixers making any additions to their roster, not even to fill in during Paul George’s 25-game suspension.
Earlier Thursday, the Sixers traded Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in a salary dump. Wednesday they parted ways with Jared McCain, the 2024 No. 16 overall pick, for draft picks.
The Sixers did create some roster spots that could be used to sign Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contracts. They could also still sign a player waived by another team, and are now $5.3 below the luxury tax.
The Brooklyn Nets are waiving Cam Thomas, allowing the scoring guard to enter free agency, sources tell ESPN. The Nets made the decision to allow Thomas to find a new home. pic.twitter.com/sK75uB6ZV1
Sixers sign Charles Bassey to another 10-day contract
Charles Bassey will remain with the Sixers, at least for another 10 days
The 76ers signed Charles Bassey to a second 10-day contract.
The 6-foot-11 center was not active for any games with the team during the initial 10-day deal that he signed on Jan. 26. However, he excelled for their NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
This extends Bassey’s second stint with the Sixers.
The team initially selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft out of Western Kentucky. He appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points on 63.8% shooting along with 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 7.3 minutes.
Bassey became expendable when the Sixers added reserve center Montrezl Harrell to the roster in September 2022. The Nigerian player was waived on Oct. 13, 2022.
Tyrese Maxey thought Jared McCain trade was a joke
Tyrese Maxey with Jared McCain, who was traded Wednesday to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
LOS ANGELES – While on the team bus as the 76ers traveled from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Jared McCain approached the group to share 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.”
McCain had been sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a first-round pick and additional draft compensation. The “part of the business” cliche has been uttered by players and coaches throughout the league leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. But this particular deal was emotional for Maxey, who called McCain a “little brother” as part of his first rookie-veteran NBA relationship.
“I’m happy for him,” Maxey said from the Sixers’ shootaround at Crypto.com Arena ahead of Thursday’s game at the Los Angeles Lakers. “Hopefully he gets an even better opportunity over there to succeed. He’s got a fan in me for life, a brother in me for life.”
McCain quickly endeared himself to the Sixers fan base because of his impact play and colorful personality, before knee and thumb surgeries led to struggles in his second season. Maxey experienced those qualities day-to-day, saying McCain “just cared” about people and his craft.
“Anybody that worked that hard for me is going to be somebody that I probably gravitate to,” Maxey said. “He was a good person, as well. He treated everybody with respect. A lot of people in this organization were sad to see him go.”
The emotions hit Maxey again this morning, when he woke up and realized “Man, I’m not going to see ‘JMac’ downstairs.”
“It’s just unexpected,” Maxey said. “That’s really all I got to say. You just never know.”
Then Maxey headed to shootaround, which began about two hours before the deadline. Veteran guard Eric Gordon was present, before reportedly being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. So was veteran center Andre Drummond, who is viewed as another potential contender to be moved by the deadline.
Eric Gordon is heading to Memphis in a salary dump by the Sixers.
As expected, the 76ers parted ways with Eric Gordon.
Sources confirm the Sixers traded the reserve shooting guard on Wednesday to the Memphis Grizzlies for a 2032 second-round pick swap. This move gives the Sixers various options.
It opens up a roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal. It also gives them a little over $7.6 million in salary cap space under the first apron. And they can sign players on the buyout market in addition to using up to $8 million in trade exception to acquire a player.
Gordon only played in six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option. Gordon’s deal created a $2.3 million cap and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which was considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
The thought was the Sixers could entice a team with a lot of cap space, with a second-round pick, just to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. It turns out they found a trade partner in the Grizzlies.
The Denver Nuggets are trading Hunter Tyson and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the lesser favorable of a Clippers/Hawks 2026 second, sources tell ESPN. Denver creates an open roster spot for the buyout market and gets out of the luxury tax.
Eric Gordon, seen during warm ups before a game against the Knicks last month.
The Sixers are in talk to move veteran guard Eric Gordon before the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones.
The Philadelphia 76ers are working to find a landing spot for veteran guard Eric Gordon, according to League Sources. Multiple teams are involved in that discussion
Gordon, on the tail end of a successful career, has played in only six games in his second season as a Sixer. Trading the 37-year-old and his $3.6 million contract in a salary-dump move would open up an additional roster spot that could be used to sign Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract.
The Sixers already created one spot when they traded Jared McCain to the Orlando Thunder Wednesday.
Bucks won’t trade Giannis Antetokounmpo before deadline: ESPN
Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be part of any blockbuster trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
So much for that.
The Milwaukee Bucks have told teams they won’t be trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
"They were never serious," said one team executive who was discussing a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.
The Bucks are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 9 games below .500 and completely out of the playoff picture. Hopes for a second-half turnaround seem fleeting under Doc Rivers, who’s barely been a .500 coach (85-82) in his two-and-a-half seasons with the Bucks.
If the Bucks try to move him in the offseason, Antetokounmpo will have more leverage over his destination, since he could opt for free agency following the 2026-27 season.
Lakers find a sharpshooter on the wings for Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James while the Hawks land a veteran guard, create a $11 million trade exception and pick up an asset. https://t.co/GIY8HNo0Zp
Minnesota traded Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to Chicago for Dosunmu and Julian Phillips, sources said. https://t.co/bVhLA9Sb3f
Giannis trade not looking likely before the deadline, says ESPN’s Brian Windhorst
Giannis Antetokounmpo dribbles against Adem Bona during a game against the Sixers last season.
All eyes remain fixed on the Milwaukee Bucks as the contemplate trading two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The teams most often mentioned in trade talks have been the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat, and one distant report about Antetokounmpo being intrigued about playing for the Sixers.
But according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, it looks more likely Antetokounmpo will remain with the Bucks past the deadline, pegging the chances around 60% a trade won’t happen.
“Minnesota is still out there, but I’ll be honest with you: I don’t think Minnesota’s offer was as good as Golden State’s,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning. “And if Golden State’s offer wasn’t good enough and Minnesota can’t make a trade to improve their offer, I don’t think Minnesota’s realistic.”
“Miami is making a player and semi-draft pick offer – it’s a decent offer but I don’t think it’s something that [Milwaukee] would stop everything for Giannis,” Windhorst added.
Looking back at previous Sixers’ trade deadline deals under Daryl Morey
Sixers team President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey.
LOS ANGELES — Nick Nurse briefly chatted with Daryl Morey Tuesday about the looming trade deadline.
At that point, the 76ers coach and president of basketball operations had not had a conversation in a couple days. Nurse added he had not yet had “any discussions” with players about potential moves or speculation.
“I mostly let him do his thing,” Nurse said of Morey and the front office. “They’re obviously working long hours.”
Another phone call was certainly worthy by Wednesday afternoon, when the Sixers got into the deadline mix by trading second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round draft pick and additional draft compensation. It is unclear if that is a precursor for another deal before 3 p.m. Thursday, or a way to get under the luxury tax threshold while also acquiring assets.
Either way, the typically aggressive Morey has already fulfilled the expectation that he will always do something this time of year. He is entering his sixth trade deadline with the Sixers, where his moves have ranged from pulling off a blockbuster to executing a straight salary dump.
Here is a look back at each deadline move for the Sixers since Morey joined the organization in 2020:
Andre Drummond is the Sixers’ best rebounder and has 12 double-doubles this season.
Could we see another alteration to the 76ers‘ roster before they face the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. Thursday at Crypto.com Arena?
There was always a belief that the Sixers would shed some salary before the 3 p.m. Thursday trade deadline to get below the luxury tax threshold. They also needed to free up a roster spot to sign two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard deals.
And the squad might have accomplished both by trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. One of the second-rounders is the 2027 most favorable pick from Oklahoma City, Houston, the Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. The others are the 2028 Milwaukee Bucks and 2028 Thunder picks.
The Sixers are now $3 million below the luxury tax threshold after trading away McCain’s $4.2 million salary for draft assets.
But is there another deal to be made? There’s a sense that this roster, as it’s currently constructed, has a chance to position itself for an Eastern Conference title.
Multiple sources insist that the Sixers are still willing to trade reserve center Andre Drummond.
But while McCain battled inconsistent play during his return from last season’s knee surgery, Drummond is the team’s best rebounder and has 12 double-doubles this season.
Parting ways with Drummond would be a blow to the Sixers’ depth. With Joel Embiid resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Drummond started his 18th game of the season Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder had 12 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and a block in the 113-94 victory.
If there’s a Giannis trade, maybe the Sixers could land someone like ex-Villanova star Donte DiVincenzo.
As of Wednesday night, there were no indications the Sixers were gearing up to make a legitimate run at acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was previously reported to be intrigued by the possibility of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers. Such a move would almost certainly require the Sixers to part with rookie star V.J. Edgecombe. That’s a move they almost certainly will not do.
But the Sixers could easily end up involved on the periphery of the Giannis talks.
If Minnesota is determined/desperate to add Giannis, then it would presumably need to be desperate/determined to acquire the first-round picks that the Bucks would require (the Timberwolves don’t have much in the way of draft capital to trade). Minnesota’s determination/desperation creates some intriguing possibilities for a third team that does have first-round picks it can trade.
The dream scenario would be someone like young sweet-shooting big man Naz Reid becoming available. A more realistic opportunity could come in the form of former Villanova-turned-Knicks-turned-Timberwolves grinder Donte DiVincenzo.
I’m throwing those names out there mostly as for-instances. The world remains Daryl Morey’s oyster until the clock strikes 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.
Kristaps Porzingis traded to the Warriors; ex-Sixer Buddy Hield headed to the Hawks
Kristaps Porzingis
The Golden State Warriors found their dependable big man by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from Atlanta and granted forward Jonathan Kuminga his wish to be traded while also dealing guard Buddy Hield to the Hawks, according to a person with knowledge of the swap.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the trade had not yet been approved by the league.
Kuminga sat out Tuesday night’s 113-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers because of a bone bruise in his left knee, his fifth straight missed game.
The Hawks had listed Porzingis — who has recently missed time with an Achilles tendon injury — as questionable for Thursday’s game against Utah because of an illness. Atlanta also acquired center Jock Landale from the Jazz, a person with knowledge of the trade told the AP.
In mid-January, Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke with Kuminga about being out of the rotation for more than a month and the expectation that he would be traded. However, general manager Mike Dunleavy said on Jan. 20 after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending knee injury that there wasn’t an immediate indication other teams were interested in Kuminga.
“As far as the demand, I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said, referencing Kuminga’s trade request. “I think when you, in terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see where that unfolds.”
Kerr discounted any issues between him and Kuminga as the reason the high-flying forward requested a trade after not being used in 17 of 18 games — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 02/05/26 7:35am
Trading Jared McCain is a big risk, unless something bigger is in play
Patience will be needed to determine whether the Sixers were smart to jettison their 2024 first-round pick, guard Jared McCain.
Curious.
Suggestive.
Dangerous.
Most of all, unfortunate.
Those are the only sorts of words you can use right now when evaluating the Sixers’ decision to trade Jared McCain to the Thunder on Wednesday afternoon in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and some ancillary draft capital.
To judge the move in more definitive terms would be irresponsible given the amount of time that still remains between now and Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. The final verdict depends on what happens next.
If nothing happens next, then, yeah, the Sixers’ decision to jettison their promising 2024 first-round pick will rank somewhere on a spectrum between “underwhelming” and “foolish.” If their primary motivation was to duck below the luxury tax yet again, it will be a level beyond foolish. It will be criminal.
That being said, there are a lot of other ifs in play, many of them more plausible than Daryl Morey viewing a legitimate asset as a cost-savings vehicle.
The NBA trade deadline is today. The Sixers have a mixed track record.
The NBA trade decline is Thursday at 3 p.m.
This year’s NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m., the annual cutoff for trades during the season.
It’s generally a busy day in the league. Last year, 45 players changed teams on deadline day, including big names like Luka Dončić, Jimmy Butler, and De’Aaron Fox.
The Sixers have also been active in recent years, with varying degrees of success since Daryl Morey was named the team’s president of basketball operations at the start of the 2020-21 season.
Last season, they acquired Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler, both of whom remain on the roster. In 2024 they landed Buddy Hield, only to later trade him to the Golden State Warriors.
In 2023 the Sixers traded Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trailblazers. In 2022, they dealt Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that brought James Harden to Philly, who was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
LOS ANGELES — Nick Nurse briefly chatted with Daryl Morey on Tuesday about the looming trade deadline.
At that point, the 76ers coach and the president of basketball operations had not had a conversation in a couple of days. Nurse said he had not yet had “any discussions” with players about potential moves or speculation.
“I mostly let him do his thing,” Nurse said of Morey and the front office. “They’re obviously working long hours.”
Another phone call was certainly worthy by Wednesday afternoon, when the Sixers got into the deadline mix by trading second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round draft pick and additional draft compensation.
On Thursday, the Sixers sent veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon and a second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies, opening a roster spot to convert Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract into a standard deal and creating additional salary cap space under the first apron.
Morey thus fulfilled the expectation that he will always do something this time of year. This was Morey’s sixth trade deadline with the Sixers, where his moves have ranged from pulling off a blockbuster to executing a straight salary dump.
Here is a look back at previous deadline moves for the Sixers since Morey joined the organization in 2020.
Quentin Grimes came to the Sixers in a trade with the Mavericks at the trade deadline in 2025.
2025
Deal 1: Acquired Quentin Grimes and a second-round draft pick that became Johni Broome from the Dallas Mavericks for Caleb Martin.
Deal 2: Acquired Jared Butler and draft capital from the Washington Wizards for Reggie Jackson.
Deal 3: Traded KJ Martin to the Detroit Pistons for cash considerations.
Even amid a miserable season, Morey found a way to upgrade the roster. The Sixers nabbed Grimes from the Mavericks for an injured Caleb Martin, a slick deal that still flies under the radar because of Dallas’ disastrous trade of superstar Luke Doncic a couple of days earlier. Grimes was a breakout player during the Sixers’ tank job down the stretch of last season and is now their sixth man who can impact both ends of the floor. Martin entered Thursday averaging 3.7 points in 57 games across parts of two seasons with Dallas.
Butler got a tryout as a young reserve guard but became expendable when the Sixers drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall last summer. KJ Martin now plays in the Chinese Basketball Association.
2024
Deal 1: Acquired Buddy Hield in a three-team deal with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, which sent out Furkan Korkmaz, Marcus Morris Sr., and draft compensation.
Deal 2: Traded Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics for a second-round draft pick that became Adem Bona.
Deal 3: Traded Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Cameron Payne and a second-round draft pick.
Deal 4: Traded Danuel House Jr. to the Detroit Pistons for a second-round draft pick.
Morey said then that he believed Hield was the best player moved on the actual deadline day. The sharpshooting Hield theoretically should have been a smooth fit as a floor spacer, but he did not get much chance to play off an injured Joel Embiid. Hield eventually slipped out of the starting lineup and the playoff rotation, other than his Game 6 breakout against the New York Knicks.
Payne was a clear upgrade over Beverley and part of the playoff rotation before joining the Knicks in free agency.
2023
Deal 1: Acquired Jalen McDaniels and a second-round draft pick in a four-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and New York Knicks that sent out Matisse Thybulle.
Though Thybulle had not proved himself to be offensively reliable enough to play in the postseason, McDaniels also fell out of the rotation in the Sixers’ second-round series against Boston that season.
2022
Deal 1: Acquired James Harden and Paul Millsap from the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.
Harden led the NBA in assists during Embiid’s MVP season, and helped the Sixers get to Game 7 of the second round against the Celtics in 2023. But he was in Philly for less than two seasons, forcing his way out early in the 2023-24 season after the Sixers would not offer him a long-term extension. The losses of Drummond and Curry were also sneaky important during the Sixers’ second-round playoff exit in 2022.
Simmons has never been the same player, primarily due to health issues. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25 and has not been on an NBA roster this season.
2021
Deal 1: Acquired George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis in a three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, while sending out Tony Bradley and Terrance Ferguson.
The Sixers brought in Hill to attempt to shore up their backup point guard position down the stretch. Waiting in the wings that season: a rookie named Tyrese Maxey.
When the Phillies report to spring training Wednesday, it will have been 125 days since last season ended on Orion Kerkering’s 11th-inning throwing error at Dodger Stadium. How does an athlete – even a major-league pitcher who is 24, with a gifted right arm and a long career ahead of him – move forward from something like that? Kerkering joined Phillies Extra to discuss the path back.
Could we see another alteration to the 76ers‘ roster before they face the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. Thursday at Crypto.com Arena?
There was always a belief that the Sixers would shed some salary before the 3 p.m. Thursday trade deadline to get below the luxury tax threshold. They also needed to free up a roster spot to sign two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard deals.
And the squad might have accomplished both by trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. One of the second-rounders is the 2027 most favorable pick from Oklahoma City, Houston, the Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. The others are the 2028 Milwaukee Bucks and 2028 Thunder picks.
The Sixers are now $3 million below the luxury tax threshold after trading away McCain’s $4.2 million salary for draft assets.
But is there another deal to be made? There’s a sense that this roster, as it’s currently constructed, has a chance to position itself for an Eastern Conference title.
The Sixers (29-21) take a five-game winning streak into their contest with the Lakers (30-19). The conference’s fifth-place team is 3 ½ games behind the second-place New York Knicks with 32 games remaining.
The Sixers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets’ 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders.
Multiple sources insist that the Sixers are still willing to trade reserve center Andre Drummond.
But while McCain battled inconsistent play during his return from last season’s knee surgery, Drummond is the team’s best rebounder and has 12 double-doubles this season.
Parting ways with Drummond would be a blow to the Sixers’ depth. With Joel Embiid resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Drummond started his 18th game of the season Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors. The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder had 12 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and a block in the 113-94 victory.
Sixers center Andre Drummond is averaging 6.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in just 19.8 minutes per game.
But more than providing a presence, Drummond has been a great teammate, setting screens, playing hard, and mentoring younger players.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has seen the same traits from many of his teammates.
“As far as the trade deadline, when I was younger, I was a part of every [possible trade] situation,” Maxey said. “So you have to keep your head low, keep working. It’s a business, at the end of the day. Whatever happens, happens.
“I like this group. I think our group is really good, really tight, and guys like each other. So whatever happens, we will always support each other.”
At this stage of his career, it remains to be seen what kind of return the Sixers would receive for Drummond.
In fact, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are the only trade assets who would pull in a player capable of drastically improving the team. And both are considered untouchable.
But by trading McCain, Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, has made a deadline deal every year since being hired in2020.
And he’s not the only NBA executive making moves. The Detroit Pistons, who sit atop the East, received sharpshooter Kevin Huerter and former Sixers post player Dario Šarić from the Chicago Bulls in a multiteam trade that sent Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley and Pistons combo guard Jaden Ivey to the Bulls.
The Los Angeles Clippers traded former Sixers guard James Harden (right) to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
The third-place Boston Celtics are acquiring two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević, a former Sixer, and a second-round pick from the Bulls in exchange for Celtics guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick.
And the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers traded two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for 11-time All-Star point guard James Harden, another former Sixer.
Harden will be paired in the backcourt with seven-time All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland (31-21) also has frontcourt difference-makers in 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and rim protector Jarrett Allen. Both players have made an All-Star team.
“He does James Harden stuff,” Maxey said about his close friend being traded. “He’s a dynamic player with playoff experience. He knows how to play the game, knows how to get guys involved. He’ll take some pressure off D-Mitch, for sure, and get those other guys, Mobley, Allen, [Jaylon] Tyson, all those guys easy shots.”
The big question is: What else will the Sixers do?
Quarterbacks are people, too. Sometimes, like everyone else, they have tough days at work. They need support from a willing ear. Sean Clifford, the former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback, is no different.
For Clifford, the former Penn State QB now with the Cincinnati Bengals, that willing ear was once Sean Mannion, the former quarterbacks coach with the Packers who was named Eagles offensive coordinator on Jan. 29.
When Mannion took on the role with the Packers quarterbacks last summer, he had only one year of coaching experience. He had served as an offensive assistant in 2024 under Tom Clements, the legendary quarterbacks coach who worked with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Jordan Love over a span of 14 seasons.
Sean Mannion served as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach in 2025.
Still, Mannion’s wealth of playing experience — nine years as an NFL backup — helped him relate to and resonate with his quarterbacks, according to Clifford.
“I think it’s the little moments when he had to turn off the coach lens and talk to you, man to man or player to player,” said Clifford, a fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2023. “Whether it’s a great situation or a bad one, I felt like I could always go to him and get some feedback. Always felt like I could go to him and vent to him if I needed to, which is like any other job. Sometimes it just gets tough, and you have to be able to have somebody who you can lean on.
“He’s been through it. He knows what this league’s all about. He knows it’s not easy, and he was able to switch that on, switch that off well in a way that then allows a guy like me or any of the quarterbacks to see him as one of us. Because it’s really easy, as you climb the coaching carousel … I feel like you get farther and farther away from the locker room. But I feel like Sean was always able to come back down and understand what we’re going through.”
Mannion, 33, could come back down to his players’ level because he recently stood in their cleats. After stints with the St. Louis Rams, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks, he retired from playing at the conclusion of the 2023 season. Within weeks, he joined the Packers coaching staff.
Even as he played, Mannion kept his eye on his anticipated future as a coach. He said in a news conference in May that he was “attacking his playing career” with his eventual transition to coaching in mind, absorbing as much knowledge as he could from his litany of coaches, from Sean McVay to Matt LaFleur to Klint Kubiak and beyond.
But taking the jump from offensive assistant to offensive coordinator in just two years? Who could have predicted this rapid rise?
“From the outside looking in, it’s probably the most surprising thing ever,” Clifford said. “But if you work with the guy, you know why he’s risen as fast as he’s risen. From a day-to-day perspective, it’s [a] constant commitment to excellence. It’s a never-ending pursuit to get better.”
Malik Willis (left) and Jordan Love both had quality 2025 seasons after Mannion was promoted to quarterbacks coach.
Growth in Green Bay
That commitment to excellence was reflected in the collective growth of the quarterback corps last season, according to Clifford, who was cut at the end of training camp. Clifford said he never lost his connection with his former Packers teammates, especially Malik Willis, Love’s backup last season and one of Clifford’s close friends.
Willis, 26, worked his way into becoming a more-than-capable backup behind Love in his fourth NFL season. Clifford watched from afar as Willis completed 85.7% of his passes on 35 attempts in his four games (one start) for the Packers in 2025.
“I don’t want to speak for Malik, but I know that he would probably attribute some of that to how Sean Mannion prepared him,” Clifford said.
Preparation is Mannion’s forte. He spent the 2024 season assisting Clements with the quarterbacks, “doing all the stuff that nobody wants to do,” Clifford said. That included running the scout team, drawing up play cards for the scout team, making film cutups, and doing plenty of other odd jobs required of young coaches.
He drew on all of his experiences, no matter how small, as he blossomed into his role as quarterbacks coach. Mannion had a database of film compiled throughout his playing career that he referenced with his quarterbacks, including his own practice film dating back to 2015, the year the Rams drafted him in the third round out of Oregon State.
He was invested in the overall improvement of the room, not just the starter, Clifford said. Mannion was constantly in the quarterbacks’ ears, asking them about aspects of the offense that they liked and didn’t like. In the meeting room, Mannion held open-ended discussions with his quarterbacks about the offense, ensuring that every member was engaged. On the field, he could give real-time feedback as if he were in the quarterback’s shoes, because he had been.
“You throw a pick and some coaches might be just [ticked] because you just didn’t see [the defender] or something,” Clifford said. “But there’s a guy in your lap and you’re trying to make a play, and Sean would never get too hot about anything. Never too high, never too low. Would just pretty much be the same guy. And it’s good to have consistency at the coaching position. In my personal opinion, I feel like that’s the best way to coach.”
Expect elements of the scheme favored by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (right) as well as Matt LaFleur of the Packers (center).
Projecting the new-look Eagles offense
Over the next 200-plus days, Mannion will be tasked with revamping an Eagles offense that floundered under ex-offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo in 2025.
But what will a revamp look like? And how much influence will Nick Sirianni have on the scheme?
Mannion’s past could be the best indicator of what lies ahead for the Eagles offense. He spent large chunks of his playing career with offshoots of the Mike and Kyle Shanahan tree, beginning with McVay when he became the Rams’ head coach in 2016. LaFleur, another branch on that tree, served as Mannion’s offensive coordinator with the Rams in 2017 before they worked together for the last two seasons with the Packers.
“I would be shocked if [the Eagles offense] came out and it was completely different than a Shanahan-style offense,” Clifford said. “But I do think that with the communication that I know he’ll have with Jalen [Hurts], it’ll be a nice blend. You’ll see things from what Jalen has ran the past, what he’s been able to do athletically, physically, with his arm talent, all of it.”
When LaFleur arrived in Green Bay in 2019, he emphasized the importance of the marriage between the run and the pass, a philosophy that harkens back to Mike Shanahan’s days with the Denver Broncos. The scheme attempts to achieve that marriage in part through the incorporation of play-action passes, especially from under center.
Sean Mannion will have a major challenge as he sorts out the Eagles’ offensive issues.
Other hallmarks of the McVay and Shanahan offense include the use of pre-snap motion and outside zone runs. Like most of those offenses, Clifford said the majority of passing plays in Green Bay included a “pure progression,” in which a quarterback goes through his reads in a fixed order instead of attempting to diagnose a defense pre-snap and determine which side of the field the ball ought to go. Clifford explained that the pure progression reads can help the quarterback get the ball out of his hands faster.
“Defenses are getting really, really good at being able to disguise,” Clifford said. “[It] used to be so easy to see certain things, like if [an edge rusher] was standing up, versus in a three-point [stance], you knew what was coming. They are super dialed in on all of that. So there’s really not those same tells. So you have to be able to just feel zones.
“I like to compare it a little bit more to basketball nowadays. It’s like you’re running motion instead of just plays. But if you’re able to adjust and just play football, you can have a lot of success. And that’s where I think Jalen will have a tremendous amount of success within this offense, because he’s a gamer. He wins. And if you have a winning quarterback, a guy who’s just going to go out there and play, I think you can have a lot of team success as well.”
The offensive scheme is just one uncertainty surrounding Mannion’s future in Philadelphia. How will he fare in an offensive play-caller role for the first time in his career? Again, given his familiarity with Mannion’s preparation, Clifford said he is ready for the undertaking.
“I feel like Sean will put himself into the game before it happens a lot throughout the week, and then, similar to how Matt does it, watch tape and just call games based on what a defense is giving them on that tape,” Clifford said. “Are they giving more one-high [safety]? Are they getting more two[-high]? Are they blitzing? … And I feel like Sean will go into his first game and it will be his, like, 100th game, because he’s probably called it so many times. And that’s [what] I think that Philly fans should feel pretty, pretty good about, even though it’s a young hire.”
While the big picture of the Eagles offense will remain a mystery until the season begins, the finer details and fundamentals that Mannion has always preached at the quarterback position likely won’t change.
According to Clifford, Mannion was big on a quarterback’s “base and balance.” Clifford worked with Mannion to improve those facets of his footwork, as they were often the keys to moving the sticks in the passing game and avoiding “GBOT” (get back on track) situations after losing yardage on early downs, something the Eagles struggled with last season.
The person behind the coach won’t change, either, Clifford said. Mannion made Clifford feel welcomed, whether he was inviting the quarterbacks to dinner at his house or balancing the preparation in the meeting room with non-football talk. Mannion may be young, Clifford said, but he knows how to connect with his players.
“I think Sean makes everybody around him better,” Clifford said. “And I think it’s not surprising in the slightest that now a team is willing to take that chance to bring him up to the OC level.”
LOS ANGELES — Jared McCain took charge during Tuesday’s second quarter at the Golden State Warriors and thrust both arms into the air. He pointed across the Chase Center court toward the 76ers’ bench, a motion veteran Kyle Lowry mimicked back to the second-year guard.
McCain’s tenure will be marked by immediate promise after being selected 16th in the 2024 NBA draft, a bright spot in a mostly miserable season. Then, the knee and thumb injuries that required surgery and zapped 11 months from his early basketball development. And, finally, that he essentially ran out of time to regain his footing with the Sixers amid a guard group bolstered while he was sidelined.
McCain’s popularity extends beyond basketball diehards. The 21-year-old has nearly five million TikTok followers, where he documents his on- and off-court life and partakes in social-media dance trends. He paints his nails. He practices meditation. He picked up non-basketball activities, such as the piano and learning Spanish, while he could not walk or play.
He also made an immediate impact on the Sixers, averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in 23 games as an early Rookie of the Year frontrunner. His dynamite three-point shooting carried from college to the NBA, connecting on 38.3% of his 5.8 long-range attempts as a rookie. He flashed a crafty ability to drive and finish at the basket or pull up for midrange jumpers, and started developing as a backup point guard option.
Then he hit his head on the court during a Dec. 13, 2024, home game against the Indiana Pacers. Tests did not reveal a concussion, but found a torn meniscus in his left knee that would end his season. After months working his way back from that, he tore a thumb ligament in a “freak” accident while playing defense in an informal pickup game days before training camp began in late September.
While McCain was recovering from those injuries, the Sixers’ guard depth increased. VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in last summer’s draft, became an instant starter and an impact player on both ends of the floor. Last February, the Sixers traded for Quentin Grimes — and will now likely prioritize re-signing the sixth man following a messy restricted free agency saga last summer.
Jared McCain shot 38.3% from three-point range in his first season with the Sixers.
“You never try to compare,” McCain said when asked recently about that competition for guard minutes last week. “You’re always on your own journey. I knew my time was going to come, and I knew it’s going to continue to come.
“There’s going to be ups and downs, but you kind of stay focused on yourself. It’s not in a selfish way, but it’s more to just worry about yourself in these moments, because it’s bigger than you. You can’t have too big of an ego in this.”
McCain returned to game action Nov. 4 at the Chicago Bulls, but did not make a shot in his first four games played. He ditched a clunky knee brace that made him feel unbalanced in favor of an “Incrediwear” sleeve, and eventually removed the brace on his shooting hand. He twice joined the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats to try to generate some flow with heavier minutes. As the Sixers returned to relative full strength, McCain slipped out of the rotation. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 16.8 minutes across 37 games.
“I don’t think he’s had much of a runway to play consistently,” coach Nick Nurse said on Jan. 19.
Yet this move arrives just as McCain had finally rediscovered some rhythm.
At the tail end of a brutal Jan. 26 loss at the Charlotte Hornets, he connected on four three-pointers. He went 5 of 6 from deep the next night against the Milwaukee Bucks, and made another four attempts Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. He also looked more comfortable running the offense during Monday’s victory at the Los Angeles Clippers, and Nurse said he has been pleased with how McCain has played within the Sixers’ defensive schemes.
“He has fought his way out of a little funk,” Maxey said then. “And to do that is hard, man. It’s really hard, especially when you don’t play every night [and] the uncertainty of the roster …
“It’s just a weird spot to be in. But he’s fought his way out, and I see the confidence coming back into him.”
Jared McCain was gaining more confidence on the court, according to Tyrese Maxey.
During this mini resurgence, McCain also spoke about refocusing on staying present. He will need that as he abruptly shifts to a new NBA home with about 30 regular-season games remaining. He joins the defending NBA champions anchored by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and an organization with a history of identifying and developing young players.
It is the latest step in an already winding NBA journey for McCain, whose Sixers tenure is now over quicker than expected.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics doesn’t take place until Friday at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, but some of the world’s top athletes are already competing in Italy. That includes in the sport of curling, which always seems to shine on the global stage.
“I love exposing people to something that’s so special,” said Carolyn Lloyd, who’s been a member of the Philadelphia Curling Club for 20 years. “People don’t realize just how special it is. It’s different from a lot of sports, certainly in its culture. This sport captures my whole heart.”
Curling is one of the first sports to start, with mixed doubles beginning Wednesday. Team USA made its debut early Thursday against Norway and Switzerland in mixed doubles. However, men’s and women’s curling will begin on Feb. 12 and will feature a local athlete: Marple Newtown High School graduate Taylor Anderson-Heide, who attended the University of Minnesota and is making her Olympic debut.
Anderson-Heide, 30, is a five-time national champion. She trained at the Philadelphia Curling Club in Paoli with her identical twin Sarah Anderson.
“What I saw watching these kids grow up, was the dedication of coming and continuing to work through adversity,” Lloyd, who lives in Collegeville, said of the Anderson sisters. “Any sport you’re going to lose a lot while you’re learning and you have to be resilient. That’s one thing that I’m always the most impressed at when I think about them. And I cheer their successes. And when they struggle, I feel it too because you know how hard they work.”
Here’s everything you need to know about curling before it once again captures the world’s attention at the Winter Olympics …
What are the rules of curling?
Curling, which officially became an Olympic sport in 1998, involves two teams sliding granite stones across a long strip of ice known as a sheet. Players take turns sliding a 44-pound stone toward a round target, known as a house, that sits at each end of the 150-foot long sheet. Each house consists of four rings and a center, known as the button.
Two teams of four players take turns delivering one stone at a time. When delivering a stone, a player uses one of the hacks, or fixed rubber blocks, to push off and must release it before what is known as “the hog line” for it to be considered in play.
Canada’s Brett Gallant releases the stone before the hog line in one of the matches on Wednesday’s opening day.
Games are typically 10 rounds (or ends), and only one team is awarded points after each. The team with the stone closest to the button after all 16 are thrown (eight per team) receives one point — and one additional point for each stone that is both inside or touching the house and closer to the button than opposing team’s closest stone. The team that goes last has what is called “the hammer,” a distinct advantage that passes to the other team after the team that possess it scores.
A traditional team consists of a lead, second, third, and fourth — and players throw stones, two each, in that order. A fifth player serves as an alternate. Each team also appoints a captain, known as the skip, and a vice skip. The skip is in charge of directing play for the team and typically stands in the house at the scoring end of the sheet. The vice-skip takes over their duties when the skip, who typically goes last, is delivering stones.
Then there’s sweeping. In addition to the rotation of the stone helping guide its trajectory, a pair of sweepers can brush the ice, creating friction and influencing how the stone moves. You’ll often see the skip yelling out orders to these players as they quickly move down the sheet and stay ahead of the stone.
And the ice? It’s not the same as what the Flyers play on.
“You can’t curl on a skating or ice hockey rink,” former Olympic curler and current Great Britain’s chef de mission (or non-playing captain) Eve Muirhead recently told the Athletic. “The stone wouldn’t go anywhere. So you put millions of tiny water droplets on the sheet to cause less friction between the ice and stone. The droplets freeze into what we call ‘pebble’ — if you run your hand over the ice, it’s rough.”
In mixed doubles, which joined the Olympics in 2018, the rules are slightly different. The game includes just two players — one male and one female — as well as pre-placed stones, a “power play,” and fewer ends.
Curling is considered one of the oldest team sports. According to World Curling, a 16th century Flemish artist known as Pieter Bruegel painted an activity similar to curling being played on frozen ponds. Written evidence dates to the mid-1500s in Scotland, where the first recognized curling clubs were formed — and where the majority of granite for the stones is produced.
The game eventually spread across the globe, but the first official international competition didn’t take place until the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix, France, where curling made its Olympic debut as a men’s competition. While curling made a couple more appearances over the next 60 years as a demonstration event — at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games (Lake Placid), the 1988 Olympic Winter Games (Calgary), and the 1992 Olympic Games (Albertville) — it wasn’t until 1998 in Nagano that curling was included as a full medal sport for both men and women.
Kristin Skaslien of Norway faces off against Britain at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday.
Since then, Lloyd, 49, has seen the growth in the sport on a local level.
“We went from having like a couple 50 to 75 people coming to open house to having hundreds of people outside,” Lloyd said. “The police were here and there was a line down the block. It got so crazy so fast.”
Every four years, curling again captivates the fans around the world. But why? Part of that is likely how different it is from many of the fast-paced Olympic sports. That slower pace allows for more strategy and real-time analysis, like baseball. And it doesn’t look that hard — although looks are deceiving in this case.
It can also be very satisfying to watch heavy stones effortlessly glide across ice, especially when they do it like this …
Another reason people enjoy curling is the etiquette and sportsmanship associated with the sport.
During the week the Philadelphia Curling Club will host league nights where members compete in games. After the competition, it’s tradition to stay after and socialize, with the winning team buying the losing team the first round of drinks.
The postgame ritual is known as “broomstacking,” and has become a deeply rooted tradition that focuses on the camaraderie of the sport.
“Broomstacking is usually in the more fun tournaments,” said former Philadelphia Curling Club member, and Olympic curler Taylor Anderson-Heide in a YouTube video on the spirit of curling. “Or we call them bonspiels. You can decide to stack your brooms on the house and then go have a drink inside at the bar.”
There are other unspoken rules. For instance, similar to golf, the crowd never cheers for missed shots — and you always shake your opponents hand before and after a game. There’s also no talking during an opponent’s shot, and players call their own fouls. And like in chess, you must know when to concede when there’s no way to mathematically win.
If this got you excited to watch, good news: There is curling every day of the Olympics, until Feb. 22, when the women’s gold medal will be decided. There are far too many games to list here, but you can check out the official Olympic schedule here.
The mixed doubles medal matches will take place first, on Feb. 10 at 8:05 a.m. ET (bronze medal match) and 12:05 p.m. (gold).
The men’s bronze medal match is Feb. 20 at 1:05 p.m. ET, with the gold medal match the following day at the same time. The women’s bronze medal will be decided on Feb. 21 at 8:05 a.m. ET, with the women’s gold medal match concluding the event on Feb. 22 at 5:05 a.m. ET.
How can I watch Olympic curling?
Select matches will air on CNBC and USA Network, with the women’s gold medal match on Feb. 22 scheduled to air on NBC. All of the matches will be available to stream on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. You can get the full TV schedule here.
