Making moves | Sports Daily Newsletter

Today, NBA free agency negotiating begins, and new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey will look to bolster the Sixers’ roster, but where?

Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George remain on max contracts accounting for nearly $155 million of the projected $165 million salary cap. So once again, the Sixers will hope for better health during the 2026-27 season.

Gansey has started to build the roster by drafting Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., while picking up the team options for Dominick Barlow and Dalen Terry.

But the Sixers still need to address positional needs at wing and in the frontcourt. Gina Mizell breaks down how they could attack those areas in the coming days.

And while you’re in the free agency spirit, the NHL’s signing period gets underway on Wednesday. The Flyers have pivoted in their so-far elusive quest to land both a No. 1 center and a bona fide power-play quarterback on the blue line.

They won’t be able to plug those holes on Day 1, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find creative solutions to upgrade their roster.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓What do you think of the Flyers first-round draft pick Maksim Sokolovskii? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Phillies entered Monday’s matchup against the Pirates a season-high 10 games above .500. They’ve all but erased their dismal start.

Despite their 11-7 loss to Pittsburgh in the series opener, the Phillies sit 3.5 games behind the Braves for the lead in the National League East. It’s a gap that was as wide as 10½ games in May. Suddenly, it’s a race again.

🥍 Discovering: Twin lacrosse stars Brinn and Ava Findora from Downingtown flipped their commitment from Virginia to Clemson. Why?

🏒 Seeing: It looks like national media experts weren’t too impressed with the Flyers’ NHL draft, as they didn’t give the team a grade higher than C+.

🤔 Wondering: What Ben Simmons said in his interview with Men’s Health, which mentioned his desire to make an NBA return — possibly even “back to Philly.”

🥊 Learning: The Joe Frazier statue moved to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after previously being in South Philly for more than 10 years.

At last year’s Flyers development camp, Porter Martone was freshly drafted and heading off to college, and Denver Barkey and Alex Bump were going into their first full pro seasons. Now, despite playing key roles in the Flyers’ run to the second round of the playoffs, all three are back at camp.

They don’t need to be there, but the trio wants to be a resource for the newer members of the organization.

The U.S. men have indeed been among the last 16 teams standing at five of the eight World Cups they played in from 1990-2022. With that said, this World Cup isn’t about being one of the best 32 or 16 national teams.

It’s about the mentality of knockout soccer on the sport’s biggest stage, and whether the U.S. players of this era can prove themselves in the way they’ve long told us they can.

While the news didn’t exactly dominate headlines, Arnold Ebiketie could be a sneaky good signing for the Birds. The linebacker has four years of NFL experience, and his football journey began at two local schools.

While the Eagles’ defensive front is loaded, Ebiketie should be a decent rotational piece. Also, undrafted rookie Jaedan Roberts is among those trying to crack a crowded rotation along the offensive line.

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has been the victim of nine flagrant fouls since she joined the league in 2024, more than anyone else. There’s no doubt that she’s been a target of jealousy and resentment since her arrival.

She is, after all, the greatest asset in the history of women’s sports. The WNBA and its officials should do a better job of protecting her, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

We asked: Should high school state playoffs be split between non-boundary and boundary schools? Among your responses:

YES! Archbishop Ryan had a basketball player who lived in Trenton, New Jersey. Enough said. — Reilly O.

Public schools have the athletes that live within their borders while private schools can recruit the best athletes from within a wide area. Very difficult for the public schools to compete against the major private power house schools such as those in California and Texas. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Ryan Novozinsky, Jonathan Tannenwald, Nick Vadala, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, Lochlahn March, Ariel Simpson, Gustav Elvin, Gabriela Carroll, and Mia Messina.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s it for me this week. Stay cool these next few days. Maria will be in your inbox with Wednesday’s newsletter. — Bella