Spinning the Sixers’ moves | Sports Daily Newsletter
And Jordan Mailata cries about Jeff Stoutland’s exit.
What does it all mean, Daryl Morey? The NBA trade deadline passed Thursday without incident for the Sixers, although their president of basketball operations dealt little-used guard Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies.
This came a day after a head-scratching trade that sent Jared McCain, a first-round selection in 2024, to the Thunder for some draft picks.
What do the Sixers get out of these moves? They shed some salaries, giving them just over $7.6 million in cap space under the first apron and the ability to sign players on the buyout market. But it sure looks like the Sixers got a little worse over the last two days, Keith Pompey writes.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Through most of their game against the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers’ offense struggled until a late goal from Jamie Drysdale. But a missed opportunity on a two-on-one in overtime led to the Flyers’ 2-1 loss to the Senators in their final game before the Olympic break.
Jordan Mailata talked to Jeff McLane on Thursday in San Francisco and the Eagles tackle didn’t pull any punches when it came to the abrupt resignation of Jeff Stoutland. The offensive line coach developed Mailata into an All-Pro-caliber tackle after the Eagles drafted the Australian rugby player in the seventh round in 2018 with virtually no football experience.
“I’ve been crying about it to be honest. Guy’s like my father,” Mailata said. “It hit me hard. And now I’m just kind of glad the Super Bowl week is keeping me busy so I can deal with that when I get home when I have the time to myself.”
On a happier note, Mailata joined other NFL stars in singing a cappella at San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
The Eagles are hiring former Packers assistant Ryan Mahaffey to succeed Stoutland as running game coordinator.
Sam Howell, the Eagles’ third-string quarterback, will be at Super Bowl LX on Sunday cheering for his buddy Drake Maye of the Patriots. The two formed a friendship when they were quarterbacks at North Carolina, Howell the starter and Maye the up-and-coming underclassman.
“[I’m] extremely proud of him,” Howell says. “He’s worked his whole life to be where he is and he’s getting what he deserves. He was made for the big moments and I have no doubt he’ll be ready to go.”
Former Eagles cornerback Josh Jobe has found his calling in a top-notch Seahawks secondary, ready to go for the big game. A year ago, Jobe said he watched the Eagles play in the Super Bowl “[ticked] off.”
Jared McCain’s tenure with the Sixers lasted less than two seasons and was marked by ups and downs. He looked so good in his rookie season, then knee and thumb injuries took him out of the equation for 11 months. The Sixers bolstered their group of guards while he was sidelined and McCain essentially ran out of time, Gina Mizell writes.
The Sixers’ five-game winning streak was ended by the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday night, but the team should feel encouraged by Joel Embiid’s continued impressive play. He scored a team-high 35 points in the loss.
Sports snapshot
Winter Olympics: Here’s the rundown on athletes with Philadelphia-area ties, from Isabeau Levito to Donovan McNabb’s niece.
Figure skating guide: Everything you need to know about the sport at the Winter Games.
Siena’s hero: Former Plymouth-Whitemarsh star Ronald Moore, once a March Madness standout, is on the staff at Penn now.
Dragons are driven: Drexel will try to ride the CAA’s best defense to a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Our best sports 📸 of the week
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, photos include the Flyers raising money for charity, the Phillies packing up for Clearwater, and basketball of all shapes and sizes.
The Wildcats are 17-5 following their 72-60 victory Wednesday night over Kevin Willard’s former team, Seton Hall. And Villanova’s strong season so far might allow its donors and alumni to regard the last three years as just a blip — a small stint in purgatory before Willard got the program back to where those who support it presumed it should and would always be. During an hourlong interview in his office, though, Willard made it clear where he comes down on Villanova’s future … and its recent past. More from Mike Sielski.
What you’re saying about the McCain trade
We asked: Thoughts on the Sixers trading Jared McCain? Among your responses:
As usual the 76ers have no clue. — Bill M.
Trading Jared McCain, who seemed to have a solid future with the Sixers, seems to be a very questionable move, but on this one I think I will defer to Keith Pompey’s opinion and knowledge that are both far superior to mine. — Everett S.
Trading McCain was just another dumb move by “Your 76ers.” Now if they would have thrown George into the deal, I would have given it an A+. — Ronald R.
Four draft picks for a player who was injury prone and did not find a consistent place in the rotation — not a bad return. Let’s see how the draft guru Daryl Morey manages this haul. — Bob C.
Is this how we show our loyalty to players? Oklahoma City is a fantastic team and I am sure that along with another ex-Sixer, Isaiah Joe, he will have a fantastic career there and when they play us, fans will say, “Why do we send promising young players to other teams?” — Anthony T.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Jeff McLane, Alex Coffey, Ariel Simpson, Olivia Reiner, Jackie Spiegel, Mike Sielski, Jonathan Tannenwald, Ellen Dunkel, Conor Smith, Brooke Ackerman, and Inquirer Staff Photographers.
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.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl, even without the Eagles taking part this time. I’ll see you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim