NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was voted to start her third straight All-Star Game and will be joined by Indiana Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, the WNBA announced Thursday.
It’s the second time in four years that three players from the same team were chosen to start the game, with Las Vegas doing so in 2023. Clark couldn’t play in last year’s game that the Fever hosted because she was injured right before the All-Star break.
Dallas’ Paige Bueckers and Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles will join Clark and her teammates as backcourt starters. It’s the fourth consecutive year that a rookie was chosen as an All-Star starter. Bueckers played last season.
A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jessica Shepard, Natasha Howard, and Gabby Williams were selected for the frontcourt for the game that will be played July 25 in Chicago. It will be Wilson’s and Stewart’s eighth All-Star appearance while Shepard will be making her first.
“It’s an honor to be an All-Star, even though I’ve had a few of them,” Stewart said. “Each one is really special, and I’m not taking it lightly.”
Williams played in her first All-Star Game last season. Howard will play in her third.
Starters were chosen by a mix of fan, player, and media votes. The fan vote counted for 50% while media and player votes were 25% each. Each player’s score was calculated by averaging their weighted rank from all three areas.
The league’s head coaches will select the 12 reserves for the team, and they’ll be announced Tuesday. The 15 head coaches will vote for three guards, five frontcourt players, and four players at either position regardless of conference. Coaches can’t vote for their own players.
New this year, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as honorary general managers and select the two teams from the pool of All-Stars. Previously, the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and select the squads.
Bueckers, Clark, and Boston were the top three vote-getters among fans. All three received more than 1 million votes.
Anfernee Simons has agreed to sign a two-year, $12.3 million contract with the 76ers, a source confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday afternoon.
After trading for star Jaylen Brown on Wednesday night, the Sixers turned to some much-needed bench bolstering after losing sixth man Quentin Grimes, who reportedly will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Simons has averaged a career 14.9 points and shot 38.1% on 6.6 three-pointers per game during his eight-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls.
Simons also was one of Brown’s teammates with the Celtics last season. Simons averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 49 games before being traded to Chicago for reserve center Nikola Vučević on Feb. 5.
To sign Simons and stay under the first apron, where they are hard capped, his contract will come out of the nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Ariel Hukporti’s one-year, $3.4 million deal, which was agreed to Wednesday, will come out of the $5.5 biannual exception.
Simons joins a Sixers guard group that already features All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and VJ Egdecombe, who finished third in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. Simons’ addition could cut into the initial playing time for rookie-to-be Labaron Philon Jr., who was the 22nd overall pick in the draft.
The Sixers’ roster currently sits at 14 players. Reserve center Adem Bona’s contract becomes guaranteed on Tuesday, while Dalen Terry’s nonguaranteed deal and Jabari Walker’s partially guaranteed deals become guaranteed Jan. 10.
Anfernee Simons shot 38.1% on 6.6 three-point attempts during his eight-year career. Jim Davis
This is another step in the Sixers going all in to become a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.
They finished last season seventh in the East standings (45-37) and, after their stunning rally from down three games to one to upset the Celtics, were swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. In addition to the Sixers’ blockbuster trade for Brown, the Toronto Raptors reacquired former star Kawhi Leonard and the Miami Heat traded for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Current depth chart
Point guard: Tyrese Maxey, Labaron Philon Jr.
Shooting guard: VJ Edgecombe, Anfernee Simons, Dalen Terry
Small forward: Jaylen Brown, Justin Edwards
Power forward: Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker
Center: Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Johni Broome
Wednesday’s trade between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics has left many puzzled. In exchange for Paul George, two first-round, and two second-round draft picks, the Sixers received Jaylen Brown from the Celtics.
Still, despite the struggle to make sense of how the trade unfolded, people had a lot of thoughts.
Here is how the national experts are grading the George-Brown trade …
ESPN
Sixers: A-
With guards like Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and a center like Joel Embiid, ESPN wrote that Brown could be the fit that the Sixers needed, but that’s also not guaranteed.
“As a pure talent play, trading this package for Brown should have been an incredibly easy decision for the 76ers’ new front office,” Zach Kram wrote. “They’re swapping a declining role player for an All-NBA star who’s six years younger and still at his peak, and they’re not giving up close to all the draft capital they could have in the process.”
As for the other end of the trade, there was no wondering how George would fit. No matter what, ESPN wrote that it was a bad move on the Celtics’ part. The only alternative ESPN considered was if the Celtics would package the picks they received in the deal for another star.
“Swapping Brown for George makes the Celtics worse. It clearly makes them worse. Crucially, it lowers their playoff ceiling,” Kram wrote.
The Athletic
Sixers: A
The Athletic predicts that swapping George for Brown will be a big difference-maker for the Sixers and their position in the Eastern Conference, especially considering George’s previous season, 25-game suspension and all, compared to Brown, who had one of his best individual seasons.
“The Sixers can now roll out a perimeter attack of Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe, which is going to be nearly impossible for teams to match up against,” Zach Harper wrote. “On the nights Embiid is available and active, they could be one of the best teams in the East. On the nights when Embiid is struggling or unable to play, they’ll still be fine.”
The Celtics’ part in this trade, the Athletic said, feels like a panic move in reaction to the tension Brown seemed to be feeling following the discussions about his role in a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Celtics’ decision to go with George instead of Brown is a massive downgrade. He has a much more alarming injury history, and he’s simply not as good,” Harper wrote.
Even when Sixers center Joel Embiid (21) is out, adding someone like Jaylen Brown offers a boost.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
CBS Sports
Sixers: A+
When ranking the worst contracts in the NBA in March, the now-36-year-old George’s deal was No. 4. Moving off that contract and adding Brown is a win-win in CBS’s eyes.
“For all of these years, we’ve talked about the possibility of Brown getting traded so he could lead his own team,” Sam Quinn wrote. “On the 76ers, there will be nights in which he’s the leading scorer and there will be nights in which he finishes fourth. To get a reliable, in-his-prime All-Star for two picks and what we’ve been treating as one of the NBA’s worst contracts is an outright steal.”
Celtics: D-
For the Celtics, CBS Sports considered how Brown’s contract no longer worked for the team, but still, George’s contract doesn’t seem to make sense for them, either.
“The theory of trading Brown in the first place, unless there was unresolvable tension behind the scenes, seemingly related to his contract,” Quinn wrote. “Both he and Tatum are making supermax money. Having two players make 35% of the salary cap every year puts an almost impossible strain on your depth.”
Yahoo! Sports minced no words in declaring that Philly got the better player in the deal, while also dumping a worse contract. There are, however, concerns with Brown’s fit with the Sixers.
“Brown isn’t necessarily a strong outside shooter, which is a necessity alongside Maxey and, in particular, Embiid,” Morten Stig Jensen wrote.
“Overall, though, Philly takes a step forward here with a pretty durable 29-year-old coming off an outstanding season.”
Celtics: B
Yahoo! Sports had a much more optimistic spin than most other experts when it came to Boston and the dimensions of the trade.
“George, 36, might have health issues, but when he does play, his shooting capabilities align perfectly with the values of head coach Joe Mazzulla, which shouldn’t be undervalued,” Stig Jensen wrote.
At 36 years old, forward Paul George could be more open to a complementary role with the Celtics.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Bleacher Report
Sixers: A
Like the rest of the experts, Bleacher Report gave the Sixers high marks on acquiring Brown, with a focus on how he can fit with Embiid.
“This is a big swing for a team that can compete for a conference finals berth if Joel Embiid is healthy in the playoffs,” the Bleacher Report NBA staff wrote. “And having an innings eater like Brown should make it easier to be very gentle with Embiid’s regular-season minutes.”
Celtics: A
The difference, however, between Bleacher Report and other outlets came in its viewing of the trade from Boston’s perspective, seeing their return as equal to what they traded away.
“For the Celtics, things had clearly gotten untenable between Brown and the organization,” Bleacher Report wrote. “And getting multiple first-rounders for him, considering how widely accepted his future departure was, is good value.
“Plus, though he’s entering his age-36 season, George can still be helpful in a complementary role next to Jayson Tatum (and will be more willing to be in that role).”
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Thursday that he hasn’t spoken to Zack Wheeler about his postgame comments from the night before.
But he also isn’t bothered that Wheeler was upset. Wheeler was direct about his frustration at being removed from his start against the Pirates on Wednesday after 4⅔ innings with an 8-3 lead, leaving two runners on base for Kyle Backhus. The righty was at 104 pitches on a hot day, matching a season high, but said he felt he had earned the chance to finish the fifth inning.
Since he departed with two outs in the fifth, he was ineligible to get credit for what ultimately was a 10-6 win.
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me yet. Maybe he’ll settle down, and we’ll talk a bit later,” Mattingly said pregame Thursday. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet. I mean, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset. I think the great ones never want to come out of the game, and he’s no different.”
Mattingly compared managing Wheeler to managing the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who he said similarly never wanted to be taken out. In this situation, his justification for removing Wheeler in that moment was to protect the rotation as a whole.
Zack Wheeler gave up four runs against the Pirates and was pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth inning on Wednesday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“Our rotation is obviously a great rotation, but the depth of it is not filled with four Paul Skenes down in the minor leagues ready to pop in and fill the spot,” Mattingly said. “So my job is to make sure that this guy stays available through the course of the season, and we’ve got a long way to go. So I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.”
Mattingly was concerned that the next batter, Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum, would work a long at-bat, driving up Wheeler’s pitch count even further. Pittsburgh had already fouled off 20 of Wheeler’s pitches on Wednesday.
Backhus took over and hit Magnum with a pitch. He also hit the next batter to force in a run charged to Wheeler.
Mattingly said the fact that Wheeler was one out away from becoming eligible for his ninth win of the season did not factor into his decision. Wheeler, whose ERA crept up to 2.36 after Wednesday’s start, has been forthright about his ambition to win a Cy Young Award.
“I think more about the situation that we’re in as a club. I think it probably helps that nowadays wins aren’t really a big thing anymore,” Mattingly said. “It used to be that you’d let that guy try to finish it. And in a different time, you may be letting the guy throw 130 [pitches], but that’s not the time we’re in. That’s not the situation that we’re in right now.”
Phillies manager Don Mattingly said of Zack Wheeler: “I really don’t mind guys being upset, that’s what the greats do, but I still have to make decisions for the whole club.” Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Mattingly added that he doesn’t expect this frustration to linger. When things cool off, he wants to discuss the move with Wheeler, but it also won’t change how he manages.
“I want to know his feelings on it, and all that stuff, but I’m still making the decision based on the club and the team and moving forward, where we want to go,” Mattingly said. “So I don’t mind him hearing my side of it. I don’t mind hearing his side of it, and, again, just have to deal with being mad about it or doesn’t like it. I understand it, but I still have to do what I have to do.”
Extra bases
Brad Keller (right forearm tendinitis) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Friday with triple-A Lehigh Valley in Rochester, N.Y. … Following Friday’s off day, Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 3.88 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Malik Tillman’s shoe was broken.
He’d been stepped on by a Bosnian player, not hard enough to need to leave the game but enough to need a replacement cleat from the bench.
The new one didn’t have any magic dust, but it didn’t need it. Tillman practices free kicks a lot, so he was ready when the moment came.
His team was a goal up, a man down, and fighting with every ounce it had to secure its first men’s World Cup knockout win in 24 years. In the 82nd minute, the chance to regain momentum finally arrived.
Bosnia’s Stjepan Radeljić held back Sergiño Dest, earning the U.S a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Tillman, with a bloodied sock underneath that new shoe, stepped up to score the goal that clinched the 2-0 win.
“I’ve been dreaming about this game. I’ve been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick,” he said. “I practiced this in training, and today I think I showed what I can do.”
Soccer now has its own version of Curt Schilling’s bloody sock saga in the American sports history books — though Tillman is much more soft-spoken than the former pitcher who played for the Red Sox, Phillies, and more.
As Tillman ran toward the end line to celebrate, his teammates joined him in a joyous mass, fusing its energy with a crowd that had dug in just as much down the stretch. That energy came through loud and clear all night, in hopes of seeing a new chapter in a story that began when the Bay Area hosted the U.S. men’s soccer team’s first World Cup knockout game of its modern era in 1994.
“I’m a different type of person on the pitch,” Tillman said. “Of course, maybe you don’t really see my emotions, but if you score a goal like this, you guys saw my emotions. It’s a great feeling, and, of course, a very proud moment for me.”
It’s easy to say that the Americans don’t face the kind of pressure as the world’s traditional powers like Brazil, Argentina, England, and Germany. Even next-door neighbor Mexico deals with more, thanks to a rabid fan base that spans both sides of the Rio Grande.
But this time, the weight on the U.S. was massive. A squad of players long hyped as a golden generation had to win this game, or else they’d be tarred as failures in the big moment.
The stakes rose even higher when cohosts Canada and Mexico won their round of 32 contests first. Imagine the reaction in the soccer world had the U.S. failed to match them.
— FIFA World Cup 26 Philadelphia™ (@FWC26Philly) July 2, 2026
There still will be plenty at stake when the Americans play Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday in Seattle. This team still hasn’t beaten a really good opponent in this World Cup, or in general for a while. Nor has anyone forgotten that the ninth-ranked Red Devilsthumped the U.S., 5-2, in March in Atlanta, even if that was a friendly with different squads.
The U.S. also still has a poor all-time record against European teams in World Cups. Wednesday’s win was just the fourth win in 26 such games, against 15 losses and seven ties. Raising the win total to five now would make an all-time impact.
The call certainly was controversial, and by the letter of the law, referee Raphael Claus might have relied too much on slow-motion replay footage instead of watching at real-time speed.
But the decision was not totally wrong. First and foremost, any time a replay shows a player dragging his studs down an opponent’s calf and landing on the foot almost certainly will be a red.
An obvious counter to that is that Lionel Messi wasn’t sent off in Argentina’s group game against Algeria for landing his studs in an opponent’s calf even more directly.
This is life in the sport, and every player knows it. Had Balogun been hit in a similar way, even though the initial collision was 50/50, U.S. fans surely would have brayed for the opponent’s dismissal.
Also, if Balogun had been given a yellow card right away, the odds might have decreased that a video review would upgrade the call to a red.
Because there was no card initially, when Claus went to the monitor, all he could do was give a red or let it go. The rules mandate that a video review of a call with no card can’t lead to a yellow. FIFA’s rules also mean U.S. Soccer can’t appeal the decision, though it almost certainly would have lost.
“Typical FIFA,” U.S. veteran Tyler Adams said of the rule book. But he didn’t totally argue with the call.
“You’re asking the wrong person, with how I tackle,” he said. “I think it’s a yellow card. I think when you slow everything down, it’s always going to look worse. I don’t want to say too much.”
It definitely will sting the U.S. to face Belgium’s stars without the striker who has more than justified the hype around his talent. Ricardo Pepi presumably will start, with Haji Wright coming off the bench.
Ricardo Pepi (right) subbed on in the 87th minute to help close out the game.Julio Cortez
Pepi didn’t stop to talk with the media after Wednesday’s game, but Wright did. The last U.S. striker to score in a World Cup before Balogun’s three this summer declared himself “always ready and always prepared to give my best for the team.”
There also was lots of support for Balogun from his teammates.
“He’s done so much for us, and now we’ve got his back,” Christian Pulisic said, and Chris Richards said nearly the same words.
Christian Pulisic (right) consoles Folarin Balogun after the striker’s ejection.Martin Meissner
Freese’s satisfaction
Let’s close this piece on a positive note.
Matt Freese grew up in Wayne idolizing Tim Howard, the U.S. Hall of Famer who cemented his legend with 16 saves in the 2014 World Cup’s 2-1 loss to Belgium. Freese didn’t have to be that busy against Bosnia, but his three stops and command of his box still were plenty to confirm his status as the No. 1 in net.
Now he has a historic reward: being the goalkeeper of record for the first World Cup knockout win in so long.
“It means, really, more than I can say,” Freese said. “You dream of putting your name up there with the guys that you watched growing up. And there’s a lot more to do, but it’s an honor and a privilege to be in goal for this team.”
Matt Freese (center) making one of his big stops in Wednesday’s game.Stephen Lam
After a relatively slow start to NBA free agency, the Sixers made a shocking trade Wednesday evening, acquiring Jaylen Brown for Paul George and four draft picks.
Since the Brown trade, the Sixers have also emerged as potential suitors for LeBron James. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Sixers are suddenly contenders again after the Brown trade, writes columnist David Murphy, who believes it was a steal for the Sixers. The national media seems to agree.
Report: Kyle Lowry to retire as a member of the Raptors
Sixers guard Kyle Lowry passes the basketball against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, April 12, 2026 in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A bit of unsurprising news: Kyle Lowry, the Philly native-turned-Sixers veteran guard, is officially retiring from the NBA, per a report from Sportsnet.
Per Sportsnet’s report, Lowry will make good on his long-publicized commitment to sign a one-day contract with Toronto, where he became a franchise icon and won the 2019 NBA title, to retire as a member of the Raptors.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, Lowry said he wanted to play one more season to reach 20 for his career, though was more coy when asked about that plan in recent months.
Lowry, who played in 14 games last season, was almost exclusively a trusted and enthusiastic veteran on the bench and locker room, particularly for All-NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey. Lowry initially joined his hometown Sixers off the buyout market in 2024, and averaged 4.7 points and three assists in 72 games with the franchise.
Shortly after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers are making a pitch to LeBron James, his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst also linked James to the Sixers and discussed how the Sixers might go about trying to recruit James: by using Tyrese Maxey’s connection through agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.
“A key factor in any sort of Philadelphia pursuit of LeBron is Tyrese Maxey. That is not only because of his talent, which is awesome, but he’s one of Klutch’s core clients,” Windhorst said. “He’s basically a part of LeBron’s extended family, so you would not only have Jaylen Brown as the addition, you would have Tyrese Maxey as your drawing card.”
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to emerge as a strong suitor for LeBron James due to the Tyrese Maxey connection, per @WindhorstESPN
Maxey, who shares the same Klutch Sports agency as LeBron, is viewed as a major recruiting tool for Philly. pic.twitter.com/6GCoUHgl9y
Shams: Sixers are ‘trying to make a pitch to LeBron James’
"I'm told the Sixers are also trying to make a pitch to LeBron James… Include the Sixers & maybe 1 or 2 other teams in due time in that mix. The Sixers get Anfernee Simons & they’re obviously trying to continue to add to this team.”
Jalen Brown says he’s ‘still processing’ in first statement since trade
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is ready to get after it in Philly.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
New Sixer Jaylen Brown has spoken. On Thursday, less than 24 hours after he was traded from Boston to Philly, the veteran released a statement on social media. Here it is in it’s entirety:
“First and foremost, thank you to the Most High, even in the midst of adversity. I’m here with gratitude.
“I’m still processing how this all went down. I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.
“The relationships I built here, the battles we fought together, the championship we brought to this city, and the connection I shared with the fans, I’ll carry on with me.
“Saying goodbye isn’t easy when you’ve invested your heart into something.
“I’m big on respect and actions speak louder than words. To the people of Boston, thank you. To the community I built here I love you, and to the shiftaz we are locked in for life
“As one chapter closes, another begins.
“I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia. Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectation. I respect that, and I’m looking forward to earning that respect the only way I know how.. through the work.
Anfernee Simons has agreed to sign a two-year, $12.3 million contractwith the 76ers, a source confirmed to The Inquirer Thursday afternoon.
After trading for star Jaylen Brown Wednesday night, the Sixers turned to bolstering their bench after losing sixth man Quentin Grimes, who will reportedly sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Simons has shot 38.1% on 6.6 career three-pointers during his eight-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls.
Simons also one of Brown’s former teammates with the Celtics last season. Simons averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 49 games before being traded to Chicago for reserve center Nikola Vucevic.
To sign Simons and stay under the first apron, where they are hard capped, his contract will come out of the nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Ariel Hukporti’s one-year, $3.4 million deal, which was agreed to Wednesday, will come out of the $5.5 biannual exception.
LeBron’s connection to Sixers president Mike Gansey
Sixers president Mike Gansey (left) and NBA star LeBron James competed in high school, where James beat out Gansey for Mr. Basketball Ohio in 2001.Tom Gralish and Charles Fox / Staff Photographers
The prospect of James coming Philadelphia was already picking up steam on social media following the Brown trade. Then, Steven Gansey, the younger brother of new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, looked to add fuel to the fire.
On Wednesday, Steven posted a throwback photo of his brother (far right) alongside James (second from the right) in high school on X. He captioned the post with the eyeballs emoji, insinuating a connection.
As the photo shows, Gansey and James have crossed paths. The two Ohio natives competed in high school. Gansey, who went to have a memorable collegiate career at West Virginia, finished as the runner-up to James in the 2001 Mr. Ohio Basketball race.
Over a decade after facing LeBron on the court, Gansey served in a variety of roles in Cleveland during James’ second stint with the Cavaliers. In 2016, when James willed the team to a 3-1 comeback over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Gansey received a ring as the team’s director of development league operations.
Signing James would also be in line with the Sixers president’s resume. Gansey has previously shown that he is not scared of making splashy moves — and bringing in one of the NBA’s all-time greats is a cannonball.
As the Cavaliers general manager, Gansey was part of a front office that traded for stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Now, during his first offseason leading the Sixers, he executed a trade for Brown — another top-tier player. So it wouldn’t appear Gansey is too risk-adverse to add another star to the Sixers roster.
The Sixers swapped Paul George and four draft picks for Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Wednesday’s trade between the Sixers and Celtics has left many puzzled, especially in Boston. In exchange for Paul George and four draft picks, the Sixers are getting Jaylen Brown back from Boston.
So who won the trade? Here is what the national media is saying …
ESPN — Sixers: A- | Celtics: D+
ESPN wrote that — with two guards like Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and a center like Joel Embiid — Brown could be the fit that the Sixers needed, but that’s also not guaranteed. Meanwhile, the Celtics didn’t fair nearly as well.
“Swapping Brown for George makes the Celtics worse. It clearly makes them worse,” Zach Kram wrote.
The Athletic — Sixers: A | Celtics: D+
Swapping out George for Brown is what the Athletic predicts to be a big difference maker for the Sixers and their role in the Eastern Conference, especially when comparing their most recent seasons, in which Brown had one of the best of his career.
“The Sixers can now roll out a perimeter attack of Maxey, Brown, and Edgecombe, which is going to be nearly impossible for teams to match up against,” Zach Harper wrote. “On the nights Embiid is available and active, they could be one of the best teams in the East. On the nights when Embiid is struggling or unable to play, they’ll still be fine.”
CBS Sports — Sixers: A+ | Celtics: D-
When ranking the worst contracts in the NBA in March, the now-36-year-old George’s deal was No. 4. Moving off that contract and adding Brown is a win-win in CBS’s eyes.
“Brown is coming off a Second-Team All-NBA season. There is a credible reason to believe that the season was fool’s gold,” Sam Quinn wrote. “… He is not, in fact, a Kevin Durant-level individual scorer. But the 76ers did not pay a Durant-level price.”
However, not all outlets were quite as critical of the Celtics.
Yahoo! Sports — Sixers: A | Celtics: B
Yahoo! Sports minced no words in declaring that Philly got the better player in the deal, while also dumping a worse contract. There are, however, still concerns with Brown’s fit with the Sixers.
“Brown isn’t necessarily a strong outside shooter, which is a necessity alongside Maxey and, in particular, Embiid,” Morten Stig Jensen wrote. “Overall, though, Philly takes a step forward here with a pretty durable 29-year-old coming off an outstanding season.”
Bleacher Report — Sixers: A | Celtics: A
Like the rest of the experts, Bleacher Report gave Philadelphia high marks on acquiring Brown, but they also gave the Celtics an A, largely because of what they got back.
“For the Celtics, things had clearly gotten untenable between Brown and the organization. And getting multiple first-rounders for him, considering how widely accepted his future departure was, is good value,” the Bleacher Report staff wrote. “Plus, though he’s entering his age-36 season, George can still be helpful in a complementary role next to Jayson Tatum (and will be more willing to be in that role).”
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 07/02/26 9:38am
Murphy: The Sixers are suddenly contenders again
Swapping Paul George for Jaylen Brown is a major upgrade.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The 76ers did the unthinkable on Wednesday. They did it to such an extent that it still isn’t thinkable. In fact, it’s barely believable.
Not only did the Sixers come from out of nowhere to stun the NBA by acquiring Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown, and not only did they do it for a criminally cheap price, they also somehow managed to ship out the remaining two years and $110 million remaining on Paul George’s contract.
And, just like that, a new window of title contention has arrived.
That’s the most important takeaway for Sixers fans. Brown is a player who transforms the Sixers in both the short and long term. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP and a sixth-place finisher in regular season voting this year, the longtime Celtics wing is basically the exact player you would create in a lab if you were dreaming up the prefect star to maximize a team with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt. He has the size, versatility and defensive chops to help make up for however much of that they give away at the guard position. He is a straight-line player who can get to the rim through traffic with or without the ball in his hands. He is an adequate and willing three-point shooter who showed signs of being much more than that earlier in his career. He can alternate seamlessly between primary and secondary scoring roles. Basically, he is the exact player the Sixers would have been crossing their fingers to have a chance to draft at some point in order to make the Maxey-Edgecombe pairing a legitimate contender.
Even if only half of that was true, the Sixers would have still been justified in making this deal. The unprocessable thing about this deal is the mind-bogglingly low price that Gansey somehow managed to finagle from a Celtics team that doesn’t make many bad decisions.
What moves can the Sixers still make — and is LeBron one of them?
LeBron James is a free agent. Do the Sixers make sense?Mark J. Terrill
Swapping out Paul George’s contract for Jaylen Brown’s still creates a top-heavy cap sheet. The Sixers are now about $2 million under the luxury tax and $10 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped. And assuming Hukporti’s salary comes out of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, the Sixers still have $2.6 million from that to spend along with the $5.5 million biannual exception.
The Sixers could add two more players to reach 15 on the full-time roster, though they have often only carried 14 to stay under the luxury tax.
It is reasonable to expect the Sixers will focus on adding one more guard — unless LeBron James wants to come to Philly, of course.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, told Max Kellerman during the pair’s Game Over podcast released Wednesday that he had spoken to between 12 and 14 teams about James. The Sixers would be silly not to be among that group that has reached out, or to join it after the addition of Brown. Gansey’s brother, Steven, also threw gas on the social media speculation when he posted a photo on X of Gansey and James as high-schoolers in Ohio and the eyeballs emoji.
Additionally, Bona’s $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 becomes guaranteed on July 7, while Jabari Walker and Dalen Terry’s deals become fully guaranteed Jan. 10.
Resetting the Sixers depth chart after Jaylen Brown trade
The Sixers have added a few pieces — and lost a few more — so far in free agency, with players like Jaylen Brown and Dean Wade arriving and Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes all moving on.
Here’s a look at how their depth chart pans out after those deals:
Point guard: Tyrese Maxey, Labaron Philon Jr.
Shooting guard: VJ Edgecombe, Dalen Terry
Small forward: Jaylen Brown, Justin Edwards
Power forward: Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker
Center: Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Johni Broome
Legitimate movement occurred Wednesday, when the Sixers added Ariel Hukporti but rotation players Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes reportedly decided to join other teams.
It was a seismic winnow swing for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, banking on the Joel Embiid-Tyrese Maxey era rather than toggling between two timelines or fully pivoting into a rebuild around the Maxey-VJ Edgecombe backcourt. It also was an effort to keep up in an Eastern Conference that already boasts the NBA champion New York Knicks, along with revamped Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors teams that recently traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard, respectively.
To recap …
In: Jaylen Brown, Dean Wade, Ariel Hukporti
Out: Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes
Unsigned: Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, Kyle Lowry
Philadelphia’s final World Cup game on July 4 will feature plenty of red, white, and blue both inside and outside the stadium when tournament favorite France returns to the city for a round-of-16 knockout round against Paraguay on Saturday (5 p.m., Fox29).
But the fans will be enduring another day of a brutal heat wave when temperatures are forecast to top out near 100, with steamy, shirt-soaking humidity.
In addition, potentially strong storms are possible around game time.
With another anticipated sold-out crowd packing Philadelphia Stadium, FIFA says it is proactively taking steps to help fans beat the heat, planning to place cooling tents with water available to fans “within the stadium footprint at the Stadium Fan Experience,” located just inside the main gates.
Lincoln Financial Field, known as “Philadelphia Stadium,” is set to host its final game in this World Cup, a Round of 16 game between France and Paraguay on Saturday. Kerith Gabriel
Additionally, FIFA reminds all fans that they may bring one 20-ounce soft-plastic water bottle into the stadium upon arrival. For those who recall, the resized bottle came only after FIFA last month reduced the size from 1 liter to 20 ounces, following an initial pullback from allowing fans to bring in water altogether. After much pushback, soccer’s governing body relented and allowed the reduced size of an unopened bottle upon arrival as the guideline for all 16 venues.
“FIFA is committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff through a tiered heat mitigation model,” a FIFA spokesperson told The Inquirer via statement. “Through close collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, medical experts and emergency authorities, FIFA remains committed to delivering a safe, resilient and memorable tournament experience for everyone involved.”
Fans attending matches have found ways to beat the heat through metallic cups, keeping drinks colder for longer, offered at the stadium with the purchase of a beverage. Kerith Gabriel / Staff
Where to find water inside Philadelphia Stadium
If you’re looking to refill your water bottle once inside or just don’t want to wait in long lines at concessions for one, here’s a listing of where all of the water fountains are located in the concourses of each level.
100 Level: Sections 103, 118, and 122
200 Level: Sections 204 and 222
Club Level: Sections C3, C19, C24, and C38
Four of the five matches in Philadelphia have been announced sellouts with Saturday’s final Philly game expected to be the same amid high temperatures.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
What time can fans enter the stadium?
Fans can enter the stadium and seek shade in the concourses as early as 2 p.m. when gates will officially open, according to a FIFA spokesperson. Teams will emerge for warm-ups one hour before kickoff, and the pregame ceremony will begin 30 minutes before kickoff. For fans looking to head down early via SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, there will be select express trains to the stadium, with SEPTA planning to run additional trains on game day. Fare will be $2.90 as customary, with the return ride after the game free for all fans for up to two hours after the match.
FIFA’s Fan Festival, organized by Philadelphia Soccer 2026, will be just one part of a host of activities planned on July 4 along the Parkway, including the scheduling of a massive concert currently under a bit of controversy.
However, passing all of that, the last stop on Philly’s PHLASH bus that goes along the Parkway will stop at the Fan Festival, which is scheduled to open its gates at noon on Saturday, showing the first round of 16 match of the day between Canada and Morocco (1 p.m., Fox29).
Event officials say soccer fans gathering to watch Philly’s final game at the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill will have several ways to beat the heat.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Nothing is expected to change from what fans can bring onto the festival grounds from the items clearly marked on a longstanding list that was promoted during the Fan Festival’s Know Before You Go campaign released in early June.
Bottles are allowed on Fan Festival grounds and don’t have to be of the disposable variety, as canisters up to 32 ounces are allowed — but they must be plastic. Additionally, FIFA Fan Festival allows fans to bring their own personal misting fans as well, but the water container can’t exceed 1.5 liters, and handheld fans cannot be battery-operated.
Melissa Ferdinand, spokesperson for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, told The Inquirer that times are already being adjusted for Thursday and Friday to mitigate fans entering at the hottest part of the day, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits. On Saturday specifically, Ferdinand reiterated what’s on-site and what fans can bring to stay cool and enjoy the match.
“FIFA Fan Festival Philadelphia has a variety of ways to help attendees beat the heat and enjoy the event safely,” Ferdinand said. “Cooling tents, misting tents, free water refill stations, shaded areas and multiple medical stations are available for anyone feeling the effects of the heat. Additionally, attendees are encouraged to bring a refillable water container with them.”
In January 2025, Matthew Turnbull sat in the crowd as a fan to watch as Eddie Alvarez headlined KnuckleMania V at Xfinity Mobile Arena, then known as the Wells Fargo Center. Despite a tough loss in his hometown, Alvarez, a Kensington native and former UFC champion, received a hero’s welcome from the crowd.
“It was one of the craziest sporting events I’ve ever been to live,” Turnbull, a Northeast Philly native, said. “The energy in the building, especially for the main event when Eddie was fighting, I never experienced anything like it. I mean, there’s no one bigger than Eddie. I already saw the best come out of the area. So I’m just going to follow his footsteps.”
Over a year later, with a ring set up in the middle of Stateside Live! for open workouts, Turnbull hit mitts with Alvarez as he prepared for his own Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut Friday at the same venue.
“Bare Knuckle was never on my radar, but then I saw the Eddie Alvarez main event and I was like, ‘This is incredible,’” Turnbull said. “And then they hit me up, and I was like, ‘Why not?’ … There’s no lies. You can do the talking and all the fun aspects of getting eyes on you, but when you get into there, it’s nothing but the truth. And I’m a big fan of the truth.”
Matt Turnbull (left) working out with Eddie Alvarez at BKFC open workouts at Stateside Live!BKFC
Turnbull describes his fighting style as “controlled chaos.” He got his start after he was kicked off Franklin Towne Charter’s high school wrestling team. Afterward, his coach recommended training in jujitsu, which led to him competing in the Philly area-based MMA promotion Art of War Cage Fighting. Three months ago, Turnbull successfully defended his featherweight championship with a submission win against Ryan Yapsam.
Now, he’s focused on bare-knuckle fighting, which comes with a different training regimen.
“We’re just using our hands and trying to get used to conditioning our hands for bare knuckles without hurting them in the process,” Turnbull said. “So training with hand wraps as opposed to gloves and doing hand strengthening techniques that I wouldn’t do when I’m going to have a pair of gloves on my hands when I fight. But the discipline is still there. It’s just a little bit different of a path than I’m used to.”
Turnbull has been training with Alvarez out of his gym, Underground Kings MMA in Newtown.
Eddie Alvarez has been an inspiration for Matt Turnbull’s fighting career.BKFC
“In order to do this sport, one of the leading things you need is toughness,” Alvarez said. “You need to be able to take a shot and take damage and keep going. There’s guys who are very technical boxers who don’t do well here. You’re going to take damage. You’re going to get hurt. You got to be able to overcome. You got to be able to keep going in the face of adversity.
“Matt Turnbull is that guy. He’s that guy that keeps going, no matter what is going on. He’s built for it. For him, it’s just about honing his skills in boxing. Over the last two months, I’ve never seen a guy grow so much in one sport. So I’m excited to see his showing on July 3.”
Turnbull originally was scheduled to compete against fellow Philly native Pat Sullivan, who recently pulled out of the fight. The two share some bad blood, including an altercation at open workouts that resulted in Sullivan allegedly biting Turnbull in the back of the head.
“We’re not going to talk about [someone] who pulls out from a fight because he realized he bit off more than he can chew,” Turnbull said. “Now, I’m fighting Brandon Honsvick. … He’s not as big as a name because he’s not a clown like that. So he doesn’t have a bunch of eyeballs on him and stuff like that. But he’s a much more skilled fighter and someone more deserving of being in the ring with me.”
Matt Turnbull posted a photo of a scar on the back of his head, following his altercation with Pat Sullivan at BKFC’s open workouts at Stateside Live!via thephillyfighter on Instagram
Sullivan still will compete on the card against a new opponent, Colin Reeser. Meanwhile, Turnbull is set to make his debut against Honsvick on the night before Independence Day in the birthplace of America at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“If you’re from Philly, you dream of fighting in that arena,” Turnbull said. “That’s what the goal is. And to be able to do it, especially after people like Eddie, it’s a lot of pressure. So it’s an exciting thing for me.
“I think I embody what it is to be a Philly fighter. My Instagram name is thephillyfighter. So I try to embody the rawness of it, the intensity, the leave it all in the cage or in the ring mentality, not turning down opportunities or opponents, believe in yourself, and keep fighting until the end.”
The word spread through the Veterans Stadium locker room: The Rolling Stones were at the bar across the street, and the Fury were invited.
The Philadelphia Fury played on artificial turf that goalkeeper Bob Rigby said “might as well have been black rocks on Iwo Jima.” The crowds, Rich Reice said, often were so sparse that he could point to the people he knew in the stands. The players didn’t make much, the team lasted only three seasons, and the losses piled up.
The team’s publicist, Thom Meredith, said a few years ago on a podcast that the Fury — a North American Soccer League franchise that debuted in 1978 — were “a poster child for what not to do.”
But the players still had someone waiting for them at the back entrance of the Holiday Inn, opening the door and ushering them to where the Stones were hanging while a mob of fans were kept in the hotel lobby.
The Fury was owned by rock stars — Peter Frampton, Paul Simon, and Rick Wakeman of Yes had stakes — and rock executives like Stones manager Peter Rudge and music agent Frank Barsalona. They entered when the NASL was riding the momentum of Pelé, who had retired a season earlier.
But that wave faded, and the Fury struggled to grab Philly’s attention before moving to Montreal in 1980, leaving Philadelphia without a first-division men’s soccer team until the Union arrived in 2010.
“The Fury is a story in and of itself,” Rigby said. “Oh my God. Really. There’s aspects of it that are mind-boggling. It’s a fascinating tale.”
Peter Frampton, one of the owners of the Fury, performs during a concert at JFK Stadium in 1977.DM
The sport has been met this summer in Philadelphia with fanfare as the city hosts its sixth World Cup match on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. But the game still was a curiosity to most of the region in the 1970s. Philly had soccer hot spots — places like Kensington, Frankford, and Roxborough, along with ethnic clubs in Bucks County — surrounded by soccer deserts.
The Fury players grew up in those soccer neighborhoods, and that was enough to get them a drink with the Rolling Stones.
“They were just as excited to talk to you as you were excited to talk to them,” said former Fury player Bill Straub. “You were a professional soccer player, and they were wide-eyed. What’s it like to play professional soccer? It was nothing to us. It was just what we did.
“These rock stars all grew up wanting to be professional soccer players in the Premier League. And we were here, we wanted to be rock stars.”
Kevin Murphy when he played for Philadelphia Fury. He now owns Varsity Pizza and Subs in Lawrenceville, N.J.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
A mini-circus
Philadelphia had an NASL team for four seasons, but the Atoms flamed out shortly after winning an unlikely title in 1973 as an expansion team. The local owners sold the team in 1975 to a Mexico-based group that stocked the roster for a season with Mexican players. Interest dipped lower, and the team folded with $90,000 in unpaid bills.
The NASL returned to Philly a year later when the league added six expansion franchises. The Fury signed Irish midfielder Johnny Giles, 1966 World Cup champ Alan Ball, and former Chelsea forward Peter Osgood.
“They have books written about him,” former Fury player Brooks Cryder said. “The Wizard of Os, they used to call him. But it was a little soon for soccer in the United States.”
Rick Wakeman of Yes with Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo and Fury player Peter Osgood.Kevin Murphy
The real attractions were the stars in the crowd. An Amtrak train brought a cast of A-listers from New York for the season opener at the Vet. Gilda Radner, James Taylor, and Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band joined owners Frampton, Simon, and Wakeman in a super box.
“It wasn’t the Cosmos with Pelé,” Straub said. “That was a real circus. But this was a mini-circus here in Philly because you never knew who was going to show up.”
The Fury drew 18,191 to their opener, but the crowds soon dwindled. The Fury averaged 8,075 fans in 1978 and had the league’s lowest attendance in the 1979 (5,624) and 1980 (4,465) seasons. They had cheerleaders, held free clinics at schools, and even tried to spice up their uniforms. Nothing worked. Veterans Stadium felt cavernous.
“It was tough because it seemed like everyone was far away from the actual field,” Dave MacWilliams said. “It was a different environment, for sure. I wanted it to succeed and do well, but it was tough.”
The team’s uniforms were designed by fashion designer Sal Cesarani after Ralph Lauren outfitted the Cosmos. Barsalona told The New York Times in 1978 that the Fury wanted their uniforms to have “a touch of show business and a lot of sex appeal.”
They were inspired by the wife of owner Larry Levine, who Barsalona said struggled to follow the play at a soccer game but enjoyed seeing “guys running around in what looked like their underwear.” Cesarini had simple instructions: the tighter, the better.
The burgundy and gold jerseys, which were made by Adidas, had a three-button collar and capped sleeves. The shorts were two inches shorter than the usual soccer shorts. It was as close to underwear as Cesarini could get.
“Looking back, they do show a lot of leg,” Reice said.
Kevin Murphy, shown at Varsity Pizza and Subs in Lawrenceville, N.J., displays his Fury jerseys from the 1970s.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
The stars
Kevin Murphy was a senior at Pennington Prep near Trenton when a group of Fury decision-makers visited his home to meet his parents and ask if he was willing to turn pro. The new franchise planned to use its draft pick on Murphy as the NASL introduced a rule allowing teams to draft high schoolers.
Murphy was in, as Walt Chyzowych — “Philadelphia soccer royalty,” Murphy said — told him earlier that year that he had the skills to be a pro. A few months later, he sat in a suite at the Vet with Frampton to sign his contract.
“It was Frampton’s birthday,” Murphy said. “I thought, ‘Well, I probably made a good decision.’ That was pretty amazing.”
Pelé retired in 1977, but the NASL still was filled with some of the game’s biggest names. The Cosmos had Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto, and Franz Beckenbauer. The Los Angeles Aztecs had George Best. Johan Cruyff played for the Washington Diplomats, Gerd Müller was with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies had Oscar Fabiani and Rodney Marsh.
Bill Straub playing for the Fury at Veterans Stadium.Bill Straub
The foreign Fury players had great careers overseas but were past their primes and did not draw in Philly. They filled their roster with a cast of locals. Straub went to Germantown Academy, MacWilliams played on a cinder field in Kensington, and Bobby Smith was from Trenton. Rigby grew up in Ridley and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Cryder learned to play at a YMCA in Roxborough, and Pat Fidelia went to Rancocas Valley Regional High School.
“It was exciting because as American players we had a chance to play in a professional league,” Fidelia said. “But you knew sooner or later that it wasn’t going to last because we weren’t getting paid much at all. It was like we were amateur players in a professional league. My first contract was $20,000. They gave you a car and an apartment to share with two other players.”
The Fury could not match the star power of the other NASL squads, but they did have actual rock stars. The players could score tickets to any concert they wanted. They were backstage at JFK Stadium, in boxes at the Spectrum, and saw the Stones at a tiny theater in North Jersey.
“We would drive back and we’d say, ‘This is unbelievable. How are we in these places?’” said Straub, who was working at his family’s jewelry store while playing for the Fury.
The Fury played a charity game at Franklin Field with Wakeman and other members of Yes. Frampton, whose industry-shifting live album Frampton Comes Alive! was released in 1976, regularly popped into the locker room after games. And Murphy found himself backstage at Madison Square Garden standing with Dan Aykroyd before riding an elevator with Meat Loaf, Debbie Harry, and the Wailers.
“That was pretty good,” Murphy said. “It was more than pretty good. It was awesome.”
Kevin Murphy’s photograph of the Fury.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
‘No sun. No sun.’
The Fury fired their first manager midway through the season, finished the year with a player-manager, and hired Marko Valok in 1979. The former Yugoslavian national team coach didn’t speak much English.
“I used a line from him for years on the kids I coached,” said Reice, who coached soccer at Neshaminy High School for 17 seasons. “If I took a bad shot at goal, he would say, ‘Reach, why you make present to goalie?’ He would be thinking in Yugoslavian and then it would come out in English.”
Rigby, the goalie for the Atoms’ title squad, returned to Philly during the 1979 season after being traded from the Aztecs. He was told by the Fury to join the team in Houston, but they said Rigby would be on the bench. That was good by Rigby, since he had not practiced in a week while his trade was finalized and spent his final night in L.A. at a going-away party with his Aztecs teammates at Best’s bar in Hermosa Beach.
And then Valok approached him in the locker room and asked through an interpreter if he was ready to go.
“I have no clothes and no intent to play,” Rigby said. “I’m literally not playing. I’m just coming in. Honest to God. I played a half. I’m thinking, ‘If this is the onus of coming back to Philadelphia, I probably made the biggest mistake of my life.’ But what was I supposed to say, ‘I’m not going to play’ in front of a new team?
“Then I’m sitting during the pregame meal, and Marko Valak stands in front of the team with a chalkboard for 45 minutes just drawing arrows all over the place. Speaks no English. I’m going, ‘I just left five guys who played in the World Cup final and the most tightly run team,’ and I’m like, ‘What is this?’”
The Fury’s 1979 playoff game at Franklin Field against the Tampa Bay Rowdies headlined the back page of the next day’s Daily News.Daily News Archives
Frank Worthington, a Fury forward from England, left the team that season when Valok had the team practice at the public fields in FDR Park instead of the Vet or JFK Stadium. He flew to Memphis, visited Graceland, and returned to the Fury after a few days.
The Fury advanced that season to the playoffs despite having a losing record and played the Houston Hurricane at the Astrodome. The team practiced at the stadium and then returned to their hotel. Valok told his players to stay inside — “No sun, no sun,” he said — and rest for the game.
“I look out the window when we get back, and Frank is laying out, reflecting himself with a sun blanket,” Reice said. “All of the energy is being zapped out of his body. Frank was a free spirit, to say the least.”
The Fury still had enough energy to win that game before falling in the next round to Tampa Bay. The franchise lasted one more season before soccer left Philadelphia again.
A cast of rock stars tried to make soccer happen in Philadelphia, but it proved to be too tall a task. Nearly 50 years later, the game has found its place in Philly. The Linc has been a happening this summer. If only the Holiday Inn — which was razed in 2019 — was still here to see it.
If we’ve learned anything lately from smallish Flyers GM Danny Brière, it’s that size matters.
The Flyers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the fast, physical, slightly bigger Carolina Hurricanes, and often struggled against bigger, heavier teams. Their defensemen were particularly unimposing, and Brière has been on teams where the bigger, the better. His teams as a young player in Buffalo brought the beef and laid the wood. The 2010 Flyers made their Stanley Cup runs with 6-foot-6, 220-pound Chris Pronger and 6-5, 224-pound Braydon Coburn lying in wait for unsuspecting forwards.
The Flyers’ most promising prospect is 5-10, 172-pound wing Matvei Michkov. Brière, who was 5-9 and 174 pounds as a player, knows little guys need big guys to protect them.
For all the beautiful hockey witnessed in South Philly, physicality is part of the Flyers’ DNA. The franchise’s two best players, Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros, were known as much for their guts as their skill.
Brière recognizes this.
His two, er, biggest pieces last offseason were 6-5 veteran goalie Dan Vladař and 6-3 first-rounder Porter Martone, both of whom pushed the Flyers into the playoffs and past the Penguins in the first round.
Darnell Nurse, Donovan McNabb’s nephew and a defenseman who asked for a trade out of Edmonton, landed with San Jose but the Flyers were in the mix. He’s 6-4, 215, and he would have been the second-biggest skater on the roster if he came to Philadelphia.
Porter Martone’s late-season addition to the Flyers helped push them to the playoffs and to a series win over the Penguins.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Vladař also signed an extension, for five years and $27.5 million. Only four other full-time starters are as big as he is; his nickname, “Darth Vladař,” certainly fits.
Retaining Foerster and Vladař underscored the club’s commitment to heft. The most significant move before those deals included trading talented defenseman Emil Andrae, who, at 5-9, was the shortest of a legion of Lilliputian blueliners. Cam York, the overtime hero who eliminated the Penguins in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, is listed at 6-foot, perhaps measured while wearing his helmet. Jamie Drysdale, the No. 2 scoring defenseman last season, is 5-11 … ish.
“It did make our defense a little small at times,” Brière said when Andrae was dealt. “We have Jamie and Yorky there, so the three of them — it wasn’t ideal.”
It’s notable that Brière recently has traded sizable wingers Garnet Hathaway, who is part wolverine, and Nic Deslauriers, who is not. And Brière will always choose exceptional skill in a smaller package over modest skill in XXL.
But XXL occupies more space on the ice and carries a lot more punishment in the corners than small/medium. These Flyers are growing by leaps and bounds in performance, expectation, and laundry bills.
Team Canada defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyers’ best player at 6-4 and 222 pounds, is the biggest skater on the roster, and he’s under contract for five more years. The back end of that deal could see the back end of the hockey team grow like Jack’s beanstalk.
The Flyers used their first-round pick on Maksim Sokolovskii, a 6-7, 240-pound bulldozer with the attitude of that bulldog you see on the grills of Mack dump trucks. Properly fed, he could occupy most of the defensive zone by himself. He doesn’t even turn 18 until July 12.
Apparently, neither his speed nor his skill warrants a first-round grade, but, as Brière noted, speed and skill can be developed.
“He was also a big defenseman, something we don’t have a lot of. We don’t expect him to be the next big point producer. We see him as a big physical force, a defenseman that’s going to be tough to face,” Brière said. “The way our development has worked the last few years, we feel confident that it’s going to come. We know there’s a lot of work to be done, but there are things that you can’t teach.”
Things like size. Things like grit.
The Flyers selected 6-foot-7 defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii in the first round of the NHL draft last week.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“He’s still going to be 6-foot-7 two years from now,” Brière said, “and that internal physicalness is something you can’t really teach.”
That was true when 6-6 Kjell Samuelsson and 6-5 Chris Therien helped the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.
It was true when — in a different era, when a 200-pound defenseman was imposing — the Broad Street Bullies went to three straight Cup finals from 1974-76, and won twice.
Will Brière’s strategy revive the Broad Street Bully ethic and swagger?
No. Nothing will ever do that. The NHL has grown softer than playoff ice, and won’t allow it.
