Yaxel Lendeborg went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to an NBA lottery pick.
The 23-year-old forward, who was the Big Ten Player of the Year this season at national champion Michiganwas picked No. 11 by Golden State in the first round on Tuesday night.
Expressing emotion when hearing his name called at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Lendeborg embraced his mother, Yissel, in tears.
He said on the ESPN telecast that “I don’t deserve to be here right now. I didn’t have the traditional path. … I can’t believe it.”
Lendeborg thought his basketball career was over in high school. He played in just 11 games his senior year after being academically ineligible to play for his sophomore and junior seasons.
That was until an opportunity arose — thanks to his mother — at the junior college level with Arizona Western College.
“That kid got here because of her,” Lendeborg said on the telecast. “She pushed a dream, forced me to go out there and become a man.”
He spent three seasons at Arizona Western, including a COVID-19 season, where he emerged in his third year, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds. In 2023, he transferred to Alabama-Birmingham and played two seasons with the Blazers.
Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates with his family after being selected by the Golden State Warriors.
In his final season at UAB, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also was named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference selection twice.
Lendeborg, who is 6-foot-9, graduated from UAB in 2025 and entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility, which brought him to Michigan. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines.
Tuesday was the second time in Michigan program history that three players were drafted in the first round.
Center Aday Mara was picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 12 after forward Morez Johnson Jr. went ninth overall to the Mavericks, reuniting with his college coach, Dusty May, who on Tuesday was named Dallas’ head coach.
After he was selected, Lendeborg said his mother told him, “We did it. All the sacrifice we made, we finally accomplished it — you did it.”
He’ll join a Golden State team that finished 10th in the Western Conference, with a 37-45 record this season.
Sixers take Labaron Philon Jr. from Alabama with the No. 22 pick
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. is heading to Philly.
NEW YORK – The 76ers have selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft.
This is the first draft pick for new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was hired earlier this month to replace Daryl Morey. And they use it on a player that could be one of the draft’s biggest sleepers.
Philon declared for the draft after his freshman season last year, but returned to college to use the feedback he received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. He also upped his scoring average to 22 points per game and is regarded as a strong defensive player.
In a draft analyst panel Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Jay Bilas, and Fran Fraschilla all said he could be one of the more impactful players selected later in the first round.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said.
With the pick, the Sixers will continue to lean on young (and smaller-statured) guards. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Philon adds to a backcourt already featuring All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting after going third overall last year.
Philon joins a Sixers team in an interesting spot under Gansey, who ran the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager. He also kept intact the bulk of the Sixers’ front office that has made strong selections in recent drafts, including Tyrese Maxey at 21 in 2020 and Edgecombe third overall last year.
The Sixers finished seventh in the Eastern Conference standings during the regular season. They then rallied from down three games to one to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round, before getting swept by the eventual NBA-champion New York Knicks.
They boast a dynamic young backcourt in All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, who finished third on a terrific Rookie of the Year ballot. Former perennial All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George are still effective – even fantastic – when available, but have struggled mightily to stay on the floor in recent seasons due to injury or, in George’s case, a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
The Sixers acquired the 22nd pick in the controversial Jared McCain trade at the February deadline. As of Tuesday night, they do not have a selection in Wednesday’s second round.
Philon selection will help dictate how the Sixers approach free agency. Starting wing Kelly Oubre Jr., sixth man Quentin Grimes, and reserve big man Andre Drummond are all unrestricted free agents. And the Sixers have limited financial flexibility with Maxey, Embiid, and George still on max contracts for multiple seasons.
Bennett Stirtz joining Jared McCain, not replacing him in Philly
Bennett Stirtz is heading to Oklahoma City.
At media availability for the 2026 NBA Draft, The Inquirer talked to Bennett Stirtz about potentially joining the 76ers and replacing what the franchise lost when it traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Well, he’ll join him instead of replacing him. Stirtz was selected at No. 16 by the Memphis Grizzlies and will be traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a pick swap. That will make him a teammate of McCain in a backcourt full of talent with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and former Sixer Isaiah Joe.
While Stirtz was excited about the idea of providing space on the court for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, he’ll surely excited to land at No. 16 and join a franchise one season removed from winning the NBA title.
It’s been quite the journey for Stirtz so it’s no surprise that his move to the Thunder came with an additional move. He started his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State before standout seasons with Drake and Iowa cemented his status as an NBA draft pick.
Pennsauken product Yaxel Lendeborg heading to the Warriors
Yaxel Lendeborg was selected with the No. 11 pick by the Golden State Warriors.
Yaxel Lendeborg went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to an NBA draftee.
The 23-year-old forward, who starred at Michigan this past season, was picked No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the first round Tuesday night.
Lendeborg had an untraditional path to the draft.
He thought his basketball career was over, until an opportunity arose — thanks to his mother Yissel — at the junior college level with Arizona Western College.
He spent three seasons at Arizona Western, where he emerged as a star in his third year, averaging 17.2 points and 13 rebounds. In 2023, he transferred to Alabama-Birmingham and played two seasons with the Blazers.
In his final season, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds. He also named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference selection twice.
The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg graduated from UAB in 2025 and entered the transfer portal for his final year of of eligibility, which brought him to Michigan, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and an NCAA title.
He also averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines under Dusty May, who recently took the head coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. is heading to Dallas to play for his former coach, Dusty May.
The Dusty May move from Michigan to Dallas has made its first imprint on the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Mavericks elected to select Morez Johnson Jr. after he averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists for the 2026 National Champions.
Morez Jr., was asked multiple times at Monday’s draft availability if he was aware of his coach’s move and consistently said he was surprised and didn’t have any inside information.
Previously slotted around No. 15 in the draft, he interviewed and worked out well and moved up draft boards in recent weeks. And, of course, no one had more of a window into Morez’s skills than May.
That Michigan squad has drawn comparisons to the ‘Nova Knicks, who entered the NBA in droves after playing for head coach Jay Wright and recently reconnected with the New York Knicks to win the 2026 NBA title.
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has drawn on-court comparisons to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
Another Philly connection comes off the board at No. 7 as Darius Acuff Jr., goes to the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff Jr., won MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic in 2025 and signed a Reebok deal during his lone season at Arkansas, taking pictures with Iverson to celebrate the moment.
He’s receive on-court comparisons to Iverson as well because of his explosiveness in the paint and ability to finish around the rim. Both were also extremely productive in their brief college careers, as Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists as he led his team to the Sweet 16.
The early picks of the 2026 NBA Draft went exactly as expected with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Celeb Wilson occupying the top four spots.
And from there we will have an entirely open night before the Sixers finally make the first selection of the Mike Gansey era at No. 22.
There are a lot of options available for them, with holes on the perimeter and in the paint. The Sixers need shooting and rebounding so they will wait as names fly off the board and try to pick the best player available.
They could also make a move and try to move up the board to land a forward to complete their starting lineup or a shooter off the bench. Another approach is to find a big to take the backup spot behind Joel Embiid, who played only 38 games this past season and missed portions of the postseason.
AJ Dybantsa is headed to Washington as the No. 1 pick.
A Philly connection to top overall pick AJ Dybantsa: He played at BYU for former Sixers assistant coach Kevin Young.
At last year’s NCAA Tournament in Newark, Young called that stretch “the most important time of my life as a young coach.”
Young had been in the running for multiple NBA head-coaching jobs in recent years, before opting to take the job at BYU backed by lucrative NIL money and the resources to build a pro-style program. Last season, Young coached Egor Demin, who then was drafted eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets.
Read more about Young’s tenure with the Sixers (and Delaware 87ers!) and its impact here:
Adam Silver bullish on new anti-tanking rules that begin next season
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ahead of the 2026 NBA draft speaks with Michael Rubin (left) and the Knicks’ Jose Alvarado.
Appearing on ESPN less than an hour before the start of the 2026 NBA draft, Commissioner Adam Silver appeared bullish on new rules intended to prevent teams from tanking for a better shot at the No. 1 pick.
“We will not be returning to a system where there’s an incentive to be bad,” Silver told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “I think it just caught up with us over the years. It was a practice by a very few teams over time.”
Silver didn’t mention the Sixers, who famously tanked for three straight seasons in the mid-2010s. Several teams were accused of tanking this season heading into a draft filled with a talented group of prospects, including the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards, who landed the No. 1 pick.
The new “3-2-1 Lottery” rules, which will be implemented next season, expand the lottery to 16 teams but flatten the odds. The three worst teams will be “draft relegated” and their odds of winning the lottery will actually decrease.
Had those rules been in place this season, it would’ve been harder for the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies to land top lottery picks.
Silver said the new rules offer “an actual incentive not to be really bad,” and will be in effect for at least the next three seasons.
“In essence, it’s grandfathered,” Silver said. “We all agree it would give us an opportunity to assess how this is working, and also look at some other approaches.”
Watch the First Round of the 2026 NBA Draft tonight at 8:00pm/et on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/MTBtMtK1ix
— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow) June 23, 2026
// Timestamp 06/23/26 3:43pm
New Blazers coach is the father of a Phillies prospect
Micah Nori is the father of Phillies prospect Dante Nori.
Happy belated Father’s Day, Micah Nori.
On Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers announced that Micah Nori will become the franchise’s next head coach. Micah is the father of Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, a 2024 first-round pick.
Nori previously served as the lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, supporting the development of star shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Notably, with head coach Chris Finch sidelined with a ruptured patellar tendon during the 2024 playoffs, Micah took over a majority of the game-day operations that postseason. The Timberwolves would go on to make the Western Conference final.
Just over a month after the Timberwolves fell to the Dallas Mavericks in that series, Nori was beside his son as Dante was drafted to the Phillies with the 27th pick. Dante, selected out of Northville (Mich.) High School, was just 19 at the time.
Earlier this week, prior to the Blazers announcement, Dante appeared on The Show before The Show, Minor League Baseball’s official podcast. On the podcast, he talked about the various NBA players he grew up around due to his father’s profession. When Nori coached for the Toronto Raptors, Dante got to hang out with Vince Carter. Then, when his father was hired by the Kings, he learned from DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins.
More recently, he has taken inspiration from Anthony Edwards’ work ethic.
“I mean, [Edwards is] a freak,” Dante said. “The most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You see the way he takes care of his business. …
“When I go [to the Timberwolves practice facility], I’m always in there [at] like 5:00 a.m. lifting before they get in because I’m on their time. As soon as I’m done, [Edwards] is one of the first ones in. No matter what level you’re at, the work, he never stops. He always wants more.”
Nori inherits a Blazers team that finished 42-40 and is headlined by 25-year-old All-Star forward Deni Avdija and returning star Damiam Lillard. Portland found themselves in need of a coach after interim Tiago Splitter was hired by the Chicago Bulls. Last season, Splitter was elevated to lead the franchise after then-coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI following an investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
Meanwhile, across the country, Dante is 52 games into his season with the double-A Reading Fightin Phil. Dante is batting .245 and has registered 53 total hits and 20 RBI.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans shoots over Siena guard Gavin Doty during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NEW YORK – One of the prospects who visited the Sixers last week was Isaiah Evans, a sharpshooting wing from Duke.
Sound familiar?
It would be some strange symmetry if the pick the Sixers acquired in the controversial Jared McCain deadline trade was used on Evans. But Evans shot 36.1% on 100 three-point attempts last season, and excelled at on-the-move looks. That would boost a Sixers team that struggled from beyond the arc last season, ranking in the NBA’s bottom third in attempts and makes.
Evans was a complementary player on two star-studded Duke teams, first with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel and then with Cameron Boozer. He believes that college environment will ease his transition to the NBA because, he said, “minutes are tight, so you’ve got to scratch and claw for everything.”
“The bar was really high for competitiveness and how to think [about] the game,” Evans added.
Evans, who has a wiry 6-foot-6, 180-pound frame, likely will need to develop defensively and as a playmaker at the next level. But he has a bona fide skill that some draft evaluators also compare to Isaiah Joe, the former Sixers’ second-round pick who has since carved out a rotation role for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Can’t make this stuff up.
// Timestamp 06/23/26 1:18pm
Sixers could find rebounding help in first round
Washington forward Hannes Steinbach could be an option for the Sixers if they look add rebounding help.
The 76ers found a few gems at the forward position when they signed Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to two-way deals and locked them in with standard contracts.
That said, the Sixers could still use top-end talent at the position. While Barlow and Walker filled a void, more help is needed for a Sixers team that struggled to rebound all season.
That became even more of an issue in the playoffs, where the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks dominated the boards. The Sixers also often opted for four-out lineup with Joel Embiid accompanied by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre, and Paul George.
This is a deep draft with a number of players at the forward position who could help the Sixers if they fall to No. 22 — or if new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey values the position enough to move up. Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Washington’s Hannes Steinbach, Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, and Arizona’s Koa Peat are all players could potentially land within the Sixers’ range in the draft.
Steinbach believes he could be an option to play forward and fill in when Embiid goes to the bench or misses games, the latter of which has also become an important spot with the limitations of Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, who is set to enter free agency.
“Me being able to play the four and the five and multiple positions definitely allows me to fit in with many teams,” Steinbach said. “It’s important to have a big that puts pressure on the rim and outside and being able to stretch the floor.”
Steinbach could be gone as soon as pick No. 14, but he has credentials to match this description. The Washington big man averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, and knocked down 34% of his threes at 6-foot-10.
Sixers center Joel Embiid has been with the Sixers since 2014.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo heading to Miami, Joel Embiid has a new title.
The Sixers center, who was drafted by the franchise in 2014, is now the longest tenured player with a single team in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo, the previous title holder, was selected by the Bucks a year prior. Just two players have been with a team longer than Embiid in the entire NBA: Stephen Curry (2009) and Draymond Green (2012) of the Golden State Warriors.
Led by Embiid, the Sixers have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons. However, come playoff time, Embiid has been repeatedly sidelined by injuries. This year, after returning from an appendectomy to help defeat the Boston Celtics in seven games, Embiid missed Game 2 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the New York Knicks. The Sixers went on to lose the series in four.
During his introductory press conference on June 8, new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey was asked if the franchise was committed to sticking with Embiid long-term under his leadership.
“Obviously we have Joel,” Gansey responded. “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him so far. Excited to meet with him this week. But with him and the roster we have, that’s who we have. We got to get those guys on the floor. We got to create an identity and just get them to play basketball.”
“Paul [George] and Joel can still play at a high level,” Gansey added later. “We were 24-14 when Joel played and obviously in the playoffs, coming back from Boston.”
— Conor Smith
// Timestamp 06/23/26 12:05pm
Allen Graves is an ‘analytics darling’ and a Renaissance man
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves (right) battles for a loose ball with Kentucky’s Mouhamed Dioubate (left).
NEW YORK — Allen Graves chuckled when asked about the “analytics darling” descriptor that is consistently attached to him in draft scouting reports.
“I’ll take the title,” Graves said during Monday’s media availability. “I love it. … That’s just how I played my whole life. I pride myself on playing basketball, and if it shows up analytically, I guess that’s what it does.
“But I’m definitely grateful to have it, because it’s gotten me this far and I know how big of an impact it’s had on NBA scouts.
So impactful that the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Graves is one of this draft class’ more fascinating prospects — on and off the floor.
He reshirted his 2024-25 season at Santa Clara and did not start this past season. Yet he has become a rapid riser up draft boards because of his efficiency, basketball IQ, and old-school style that could make him a complementary fit on playoff teams deeper in the first round. He averaged 11.8 points on 51.2% shooting, and added 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Graves said Monday that natural feel for the game comes from his older brother, Marshall, who played at LSU, and sister, Amoura, who played at Auburn. Allen recalled tagging along to LSU practices, which at the time featured future NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.
“My brother and I, we butted heads a lot,” Graves said, “because he’d come home and make me do LSU’s boot camp [workouts] and everything. But [those] definitely prepared me for who I am today and prepared me for my game today.”
Graves also has eclectic non-basketball interests. He has a collection of around 30 backpacks with cartoon designs, ranging from Anime to Rugrats. He grew up fixing cars with his father, also named Marshall, at the family automotive shop in Ponchatoula, La. His current project? A 1994 Ford F150 he has named Gloria.
“Fixed her up,” Graves said. “ … Trying to get her back running and in perfect condition.”
And perhaps Graves’ ability to process quickly showed up in a game an unnamed NBA team asked him to play during his interview circuit at last month’s combine in Chicago. He said it involved taking one or two sugar packets out of a group, and whoever was left with the last one was the loser.
“I figured out the person that goes first wins every time,” Graves said. “So I told them that.”
Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been compared to Allen Iverson.
While the 76ers won’t be selecting in the lottery this year, there is a Philly connection at the top of the draft.
Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to be a top-10 pick, has been linked to Allen Iverson, drawing on-court comparisons to the Hall of Famer after winning MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic and putting together a stellar freshman season. He also sports braids like Iverson famously has for the better part of 30 years and signed a deal with Reebok before finishing his one season in college.
And while Acuff doesn’t speak to Iverson often, he did receive valuable advice from the Sixers legend.
“The first time I ever met him he just told me play every game like it’s your last,” Acuff said. “I definitely take that with me. It’s great to see him. He always shows love to everybody, not just me.”
He must’ve took that to heart. Acuff did just that as he averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds for Arkansas as he carried them to an appearance in the Sweet 16. And he did that with a little bit of Iverson in his game.
Asked what he took most from the legendary guard, Acuff said, “I like his midrange scoring, the way he can touch the paint and how he can do different things once he gets two feet in the paint. So just taking different floaters, different fadeaways from him for sure.
Sixers could add another explosive perimeter player in Dailyn Swain
Texas wing Dailyn Swain could be a fit for the Sixers at No. 22.
NEW YORK — Could the Sixers use the draft to continue adding to an explosive young perimeter group already spearheaded by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe?
Dailyn Swain would fit the bill, and is projected to the Sixers at No. 22 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft released Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-6, 211-pound attacking wing from Texas averaged 17.3 points on 54% shooting — primarily as an isolation scorer and finisher — along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Swain also has flashed the defensive playmaking that could excel in Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s aggressive scheme.
Swain, who turns 21 next month, also would provide some insurance if the Sixers lose starter Kelly Oubre Jr. or sixth man Quentin Grimes in free agency, which begins June 30.
The biggest question surrounding Swain is his shooting, though that did improve during his college career that began at Xavier before following coach Sean Miller to Texas. Swain shot 34.4% on 93 attempts last season, but still has a slower release. Swain said Monday that, during workouts, he has aimed to prove he can shoot efficiently while tired after a long segment.
“It’s just confidence and shooting it the same every time,” Swain said from Monday’s media availability.
Swain had an in-person workout with the Sixers last week, posting a photo on his Instagram of the Philly skyline. He added he has tried to demonstrate his vocal leadership and competitiveness by being “the loudest guy” in those sessions.
Could the ‘Michigan Mavs’ be the next ‘Nova Knicks?
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) gives a high-five to Wolverines coach Dusty May, who is now the coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
NEW YORK – After the ‘Nova Knicks won the NBA title, could the “Michigan Mavs” be next?
That was a popular topic during Monday’s draft prospect media session, which occurred just after news broke that Michigan coach Dusty May had been hired by the Dallas Mavericks.
After leading the Wolverines to the national championship in March, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara are all projected to go in Tuesday’s first round. When asked about following in the footsteps of former Villanova standouts Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart — who ended the Knicks’ 53-year title drought less than two weeks ago — Lendeborg grinned and laughed.
“If we all get to go to the Mavs and we get to do that,” he said through the chuckles, “we’re definitely going to turn the city up, just like they did here. I would love to do that.”
The Mavericks entered Tuesday with the ninth overall pick. Lendeborg joked that he planned to tell May that “he better pick me up. If he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad. I might block him.” Then Lendeborg’s tone turned sincere, saying “it would be amazing being able to stick with [May].”
“[The Mavericks are] getting an awesome guy,” Lendeborg said. “A guy who cares about everybody else’s issues rather than themselves, in a way. Just super genuine, super humble, and a hardworking guy. He loves the game. He loves what he does, and I feel like he’s going to be a great team connector
Will ‘role player’ Zuby Ejiofor be available for the Sixers at 22?
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino speaks with forward Zuby Ejiofor during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NEW YORK — During a Monday gathering of basketball experts that also included ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, Fran Fraschilla also was asked about St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor, who reportedly worked out for the Sixers last week. Fraschilla, a longtime coach, said Ejiofor has “all the attributes you want from a role player.”
“There’s only 25 stars in the league, and there’s 425 role players,” Fraschilla said. “And he’s the epitome of a guy that will defend, rebound, catch lobs, maybe make a jump shot here and there. But [he’s] a great teammate.
“I expect that there’s a possibility he could sneak into the end of the first round because he’s going to go to a playoff team more than likely there, where he fits the culture … When you get a kid from Rick Pitino’s program, you’re not worried about how hard he’s gonna work.”
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz thinks he’s the sharpshooter the Sixers need
Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz (left) shoots during a game between against Rutgers.
The 76ers’ season ended with a four-game sweep against the eventual champion New York Knicks.
After the two teams had battled in a first-round series two years earlier, the expectation was that the Sixers would give the Knicks a tough test just like the Atlanta Hawks had in this year’s postseason.
Not quite. The Sixers looked like they gave all they had to comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics, and the most obvious sign of that came at the three-point line.
The Sixers shot 31.3% for the series while New York knocked down a blistering 44.8% from deep. And the Sixers’ principal players — Tyrese Maxey (15.8%), VJ Edgecombe (26.1%), and Joel Embiid (25%) — struggled to find their legs. Only Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul George consistently hit open looks.
Players in this year’s draft were at home watching the postseason and gathering where they might fit with NBA teams. And Iowa sharpshooter Bennett Stirtz saw a clear need for the Sixers, one previously filled by Jared McCain before he was traded at the previous deadline.
“With that series, kind of release pressure off Tyrese and VJ because I can play off the ball, I can play on the ball,” Stirtz said. “I create space out there on the floor. I just think every team needs another ballhandler and shooter.”
The interest is mutual as the Sixers interviewed Stirtz twice during the draft process. The Sixers pick at No. 22, however, and there’s a chance he could go sooner after averaging 19.8 points and shooting 35.8% from three in one season at Iowa. Prior to that, he similar success at Drake after transferring up from Division II Northwest Missouri State.
Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. could be the “best point guard in the draft” according to Fran Fraschilla.
NEW YORK – Who are some sleeper prospects who could be in the range for the Sixers to draft at 22?
That topic was posed to a panel of basketball experts — ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, and Fran Fraschilla — on Monday afternoon at the Lotte New York Palace hotel.
Marks, the former general manager of the New Jersey Nets, first mentioned Alabama guard Labaron Philon. Marks said he appreciated that, after declaring for last year’s draft, Philon returned to college to use the feedback he had received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. Bilas and Fraschilla agreed with that choice, but noted Philon may still go off the board in the lottery.
“He could end up being the best point guard in this draft,” Fraschilla said of Philon.
Fraschilla also highlighted Baylor’s Cam Carr, whom he called “maybe the best athlete in the draft.” Bilas mentioned Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz’s shooting and ability to play in the pick and roll, comparing him to former Sixer Kyle Korver. NBC play-by-play broadcaster John Fanta, who hosted the panel, mentioned Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., saying, “If he’s still there, man, snatch him. Upside is there.”
“Cenac has been an exceptionally difficult prospect to find a home for. The consensus seems to be that he’s going to go somewhere in the top 20, and he was among the second batch of players invited to the green room. However, the feedback I get from teams is that he’s more like a late first-rounder. He’s seen as a high-upside swing for teams that can afford to be patient and wait for him to improve his feel for the game.
The 76ers need another big, and Cenac could potentially slide to the four at times if his feel for the game improves. But he is more of a project than some of the other players the 76ers could take. This is a very difficult team to mock right now, as sources around the league are still trying to figure out what new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey’s type will be.
“Okorie has put himself firmly in the first round after going through a wide range of workouts, drawing looks as high as the teens and earning a green room invitation. Some teams love his elusiveness off the dribble and scoring ability, but there are concerns about his size. Whether he can jump Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon Jr. or Bennett Stirtz in the point guard hierarchy remains to be seen, but he’s in the conversation.
The 76ers brought in a range of candidates for this pick last week and can go best-available at this spot in new president Mike Gansey’s first draft at the helm. Finding an immediate contributor at this spot would be a win, with much of Philadelphia’s salary structure tied up in Joel Embiid and Paul George, and cultivating depth behind them is likely a priority.”
“The Sixers are in the unique situation of having a dominant center who likes to score near the rim sometimes and doesn’t have an appetite for the grittier work in the paint. So I get the sense that they are looking for a convergence of exceptional physicality, the ability to create offense in the paint and near the rim, and skill and versatility at the 4. Luckily, there are a number of candidates who can help them with that at this stage of the draft. Peat has an unusual cross section of lateral quickness and brute strength on the defensive end, and he’s also a pretty terrific passer once he’s caught the ball on the move inside the arc. “
North Carolina center Henri Veesaar
Henri Veesaar, center, North Carolina (Yahoo! Sports)
“Finding a center to play behind Joel Embiid needs to be prioritized. Embiid simply cannot be trusted to stay on the floor. Veesaar is an agile big with real shooting touch, connective playmaking, and baseline big skills with the ability to set screens and catch lobs. He also offers rim protection and is a locked-in help defender. He could even play next to Embiid. In all three of his collegiate seasons, he made a massive leap in production each year. The Sixers would need that ascent to continue.”
What can the Sixers expect with the No. 22 draft pick?
Sixers star Tyrese Maxey was selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Tyrese Maxey is a prime example of the caliber of player a team could snag in the early 20s of the NBA draft.
But Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ newly promoted executive vice president of basketball operations, also was quick to note that Maxey is the exception, not the rule.
“We got lucky with the person,” Nelson recently said of Maxey, the All-NBA point guard whom the Sixers drafted 21st in 2020. “We got lucky with the player.”
The Sixers are in a similar spot this year, holding the No. 22 overall pick entering Tuesday’s first round. It has been a sped-up process for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was formally introduced last week after spearheading the draft in his previous job as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager.
To further illustrate the uncertainty that comes with selecting at this point in the draft, here’s a look back at pick Nos. 21 through 23 the last five years. It offers a collection of success stories, and players who have since fallen out of the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.
Their interests are officially aligned — and the Heat finally have another superstar.
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.
The terms, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move had yet to receive the required league approval: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Milwaukee also gets the No. 13 selection that will be made in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, along with a first-round pick swap in 2030, first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and a second-rounder in 2033, the person said.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, was on the NBA’s 75th anniversary list of its greatest players ever, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he averaged 27.6 points per game.
— Associated Press
// Timestamp 06/23/26 7:47am
2026 NBA Draft: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
Kevin Negandhi, a Phoenixville native, is back covering the NBA draft.
The NBA draft begins Wednesday, and for the third straight year it will be divided over two days.
The first round of the draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, while the second round will take place on Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.
For the sixth straight year, fans will have their choice of watching the first round of draft on two different networks — ABC and ESPN.
Over on ESPN, Malika Andrews will host alongside analysts Jay Bilas, Tim Legler, Andraya Carter, and front office insider Bobby Marks. The broadcast will also feature news-breaker Shams Charania and King of Prussia native Lisa Salters reporting from the Barclay Center.
One name not mentioned in ESPN’s coverage plans? First Take host and former Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith, who was part of the network’s ABC broadcast with Negandhi last year.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft:
The Sixers enter Tuesday with the No. 22 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, but no second-round pick.
The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick, and they’re expected to take either BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
The last time the Wizards has the top pick was 2010, when they took Kentucky’s John Wall, whose career was slowed by a series of injuries.
As for the No. 13 pick, it belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, but it will need to be made by the Miami Heat because the deal won’t be official until early July after the start of a new cap year. Ah, the NBA.
On Tuesday night, Yaxel Lendeborg will likely be a first-round pick in the NBA draft.
But the Pennsauken High graduate’s basketball career nearly ended after playing just 11 varsity games. If not for his mom, Yissel, Lendeborg might not ever have played Division I basketball, much less become a lottery pick.
“Seeing him, and seeing his mother, and how much she has [meant] to him, and how much work she’s done to be able to help guide him mentally, and obviously on the court, it’s been the honor of my coaching career,” Pennsauken coach Harrison Carsillo said.
Lendeborg wasn’t academically eligible to play basketball for a large portion of high school. He played on Pennsauken’s freshman team, but was held out for his sophomore and junior seasons, and most of senior year. He trained in the summer with coaches and friends from Pennsauken, but watched from the sidelines during the school year.
In a Players’ Tribune article, Lendeborg said that the turning point for him was during his senior year. One night, after staying out late with his friends playing video games, his mom confronted him and told him that he needed to focus to even graduate from Pennsauken, much less play basketball.
“This is no joke right now,” Lendeborg said in the article. “Nobody is smiling here. You have your mom up in this minivan crying her eyes out because you don’t know how to be a good son. Your own mom! Who does everything for you. Works two jobs. Shows you love no matter what. And this is how you’re being?!?!?!”
Yaxel Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for Michigan last season.
During that final year, Lendeborg improved his grades enough to play the final 11 games of the high school season, even competing in the NJSIAA playoffs. But he thought his basketball career was over, until his mom set him up to attend junior college at Arizona Western College. Lendeborg wrote that she planned the going-away party without even telling him he was going, because she knew he needed that push.
From there, Lendeborg had one of the most improbable rises to the draft, transferring to Alabama-Birmingham in 2023 and then Michigan before last season, where he won Big Ten Player of the Year and an NCAA title. Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 40 games for the Wolverines.
Lendeborg was always talented, Carsillo said. His biggest problem was not believing in himself. Carsillo and Lendeborg’s mom forced him to pick up the phone after Division I schools started calling him about transferring, because he wasn’t sure if that was the right fit for him.
“He didn’t answer the phone, and I said to him, ‘If you don’t answer that phone call, I’m going to take your phone, and I’m going to smash it, or rip your sneakers.’ I [was] going to be so upset, because he didn’t believe in himself that he could actually do what we knew he could do, if he put his mind to it,” Carsillo said.
“It was a really funny moment. I obviously wasn’t going to rip his sneakers or smash his phone, but I was very upset, because it was almost just a mental thing going into it, because he had so much potential that he didn’t even see himself.”
After two years at UAB, Lendeborg was a fringe first-round prospect. He could have ended his college career there, but instead spent another year in college to develop further, and prove to himself and to NBA draft scouts that he could succeed at that highest level. Carsillo said that Lendeborg’s year at Michigan has him more confident and aware of his sky-high potential.
But what’s stood out the most to Carsillo over the years is Lendeborg’s selflessness, on and off the court. In the Final Four, Lendeborg suffered an MCL and ankle sprain. Some advised him not to play to protect his draft stock, but Lendeborg insisted on helping his teammates see it through and vowed, “I’m playing no matter what.”
At halftime of the national championship game on April 6, he said he felt “awful,” but still gritted out a 13-point, 36-minute performance in the 69-63 win over UConn.
Yaxel Lendeborg spent two seasons at UAB after attending Arizona Western College.
“That’s him,” Carsillo said. “He could have easily just said, ‘No, I’m good.’ He knows he’s going to get drafted. He knows he’s changed his family’s life. It’s amazing. That’s exactly who he is, 100%, and he was like that at Pennsauken, just much lower stakes.”
Lendeborg even has a chance to reunite with his college coach, Dusty May, who reportedly accepted the Dallas Mavericks’ head coaching job on Monday. The Mavericks hold the No. 9 pick in the draft, slightly above where Lendeborg has been projected, but Lendeborg joked Monday that he’s “going to tell him he better pick me up. If he doesn’t, I’m going to be mad. I might block him.”
The forward has grown up a lot since high school. He’s one of the oldest prospects in the draft, but he’s played only about six seasons of organized basketball. He grew up playing baseball, and told ESPN that he first learned how to play basketball through the NBA 2K video game.
“He still has so much room to grow, and he’s still learning how to become a better basketball player; it’s remarkable,” Carsillo said. “He has a little bit of self doubt, but not much anymore. This whole process with the NBA and Michigan turned his eye and turned his mindset around to be able to prove to himself, like, ‘I can do what my mother has always told me I could do.’”
Lendeborg’s mom can’t attend as many games as she used to. She’s currently nearing the end of her treatment cycle for appendix cancer, which she initially kept hidden from Lendeborg to keep him focused on his season at Michigan. But planned to be in Brooklyn on Tuesday to watch her son’s NBA journey begin — a journey he’d never have come close to if not for her pushing him every step of the way.
MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.
And the Heat finally have another superstar.
Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.
The terms, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move has yet to receive the required league approval: Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis are heading to Miami for Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis. Milwaukee also gets at least four picks, including the No. 13 selection that will be made in Tuesday night’s NBA draft.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Bucks.
It ends a wild back-and-forth in the final days of the saga, with the Bucks considering offers from both Miami and Boston for Antetokounmpo — who led Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, was on the NBA’s 75th anniversary list of its greatest players ever, is a nine-time All-NBA selection and is coming off an injury-shortened season where he averaged 27.6 points per game.
There has been no secret that this is what Miami has sought, because this is what Miami usually seeks. The Heat pulled off similar moves by landing Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 (helping lead to the 2006 NBA title) and by getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play alongside Dwyane Wade in 2010 (leading to four NBA Finals runs in four seasons together, along with the 2012 and 2013 NBA titles).
Now, it’s Antetokounmpo’s turn. At 31, the Heat clearly believe he still has many good years left — and it’s generally presumed that by making this deal they’ll give the Greek superstar a massive extension later this year.
The 76ers’ offseason is about to ramp up, with the NBA draft next week and free agency beginning at 6 p.m. on June 30.
These are the first opportunities for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey to make roster decisions — within the constraints of having three players (Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George) still on max contracts.
That means there is a lot to ponder and discuss. And you brought questions.
Let’s get to them.
Santa Clara’s Allen Graves could be one of the players the Sixers consider picking at No. 22 in next week’s draft.
Q: From @davesoup on Bluesky: “Draft question. Biggest need? Best available? Chances they pick someone as good as [Jared] McCain?”
A: This is a great place to start. Based on Gansey’s vague comments at his introductory news conference, the Sixers will aim for a combination of both with the 22nd overall pick. It’s cliche, but also makes sense in that range. I’m perhaps most intrigued by the options at center and power forward — think Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. or Santa Clara’s Allen Graves — though a wing could make sense if the Sixers’ front office believes they are in danger of losing Kelly Oubre Jr. and/or Quentin Grimes in free agency. So could a guard — yes, again — if they can provide a three-point shooting boost.
The Sixers absolutely could find somebody as good as McCain, given Maxey went even lower at 21 in the bizarre COVID-impacted 2020 draft. But as recent drafts illustrate, picking here is always a crapshoot. Who the Sixers select next week, however, will likely help determine free agency priorities.
Q: From @marc_almond on X: “Any chance the Sixers trade up their pick, since the draft is very open at their current spot?”
A: There’s always a chance, especially if the front office falls in love with a specific prospect during this week’s workouts. But right now it feels more likely that a good option could slip to 22, rather than the Sixers aggressively trying to move up. Gansey’s general draft approach also still comes with some uncertainty. He ran the draft with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was not in the higher-ranking position that he holds with a new organization.
The Sixers and Joel Embiid are optimistic about his long-term health.
Q: From @cornerblight on Bluesky: “Do you think they are keeping Embiid?”
A: Never say never, given Luka Dončić was abruptly traded on a January Saturday night in the middle of his prime. But, putting it bluntly, Embiid’s contract is regarded as extremely difficult to trade given his age and injury history. If you were a fan of another team, would you be interested in trading for Embiid?
For now, the Sixers have to accept Embiid’s optimism that he and the medical/training staff have figured out how to manage his knee. He has no surgeries scheduled and plans to play more next season. That, of course, does not prevent the freak injuries like the oblique strain that kept him out for a month, or the ankle sprain and hip soreness that sidelined him for Game 2 of the playoff series against the New York Knicks, or the other random ailments like orbital fractures and Bell’s Palsy that have hampered postseason runs. One guarantee: He no longer has an appendix, and therefore will not need another emergency appendectomy.
The Sixers flashed what they could be with Embiid and George during that playoff comeback in the first round against the Boston Celtics. Gansey said he must operate (at least for now) as if he is building a roster with the core four of those three max players, plus VJ Edgecombe. And they all must cross their fingers for health, and that health leads to continuity.
Q: From @johnmlatimer on Bluesky: “I think the Spurs should have done the Two Tower thing more with Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] and [Luke] Kornet. And I think that would be a good option for Sixers to maximize and protect Embiid. Thoughts? Is [Adem] Bona that guy? If not him, who?
A: Solid observation. The Sixers have already dabbled in this, even going back to a preseason scrimmage in Delaware. And Bona has vocalized his eagerness to play in those lineups, as an additional way to get on the floor long-term.
The Sixers could use Bona’s athleticism, particularly as a defender, given Embiid clearly is not as mobile and vertical as the once-dominant player used to be. Bona’s limited offensive repertoire, in turn, is balanced by Embiid’s excellent skills for his size in the mid-post and perimeter. And that all helps fill the void at power forward.
Embiid did not play enough during the regular season to really experiment with this lineup for significant stretches. I’d imagine it is something Nick Nurse and the coaching staff are examining this summer.
Tyrese Maxey is a franchise cornerstone for a Sixers team trying to contend for a championship with three max contract players.
Q: From @realstuartl on X: “With Rich Paul as his agent, would Maxey really play the next few years in a rebuilding situation, if they did somehow get rid of Embiid and George?”
A: First, Maxey has never publicly expressed anything resembling disgruntlement or wanting out if the Sixers make the type of pivot you are suggesting.
I think it greatly helps the Sixers that Maxey legitimately believes in Edgecombe and has immediately established an on- and off-court connection and mentorship with him. I also think Maxey understands his unique situation: that he was drafted to an immediately competitive team with an MVP contender, instead of trudging through a rebuild like so many star-caliber young players do early in their careers. That now has made Maxey a tweener, of sorts, on this roster between Embiid/George and Edgecombe — and bridging that during a transitional period always felt like a possibility. Heck, Maxey has already been part of several iterations of this team, from Embiid-Ben Simmons, to Embiid-James Harden, to the most recent version.
Maxey, though, is also fiercely competitive. He also has already done right by the organization in waiting a year to sign his max contract, so that the Sixers could have a smaller cap hold on him and also sign George. In the current NBA landscape, partnerships between players and teams run their course more times than not (see Giannis Antetokounmpo). But right now, Maxey is a franchise cornerstone.
Q: From @jesuszoidberg on Bluesky: “In today’s NBA playoffs, is it possible to win a title if your best player is a post 30 year old big man, even not taking into the account the injuries?”
A: Just throwing this out there: A month ago, one could have asked if it was possible to win a title if that team’s best player was a small, ball-dominant guard who was a second-round draft pick and did not even make the All-NBA first-team this season.
(This is Jalen Brunson, of course.)
A team almost certainly needs a certified dude to win a championship. But getting the right players around that dude — whatever archetype they fill in regards to physical stature, skills, or intangibles — is the biggest key to building the correct team. And I do think that, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement’s constraints, the star collecting method might be phasing out in place of compiling depth at the right spots. That is something Bob Myers mentioned during his news conference before the executive search that landed on Gansey.
