For the first time in 27 years, the NBA Finals have returned to Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks bring a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs back home, and the court isn't the only place where the stars will be shining.
We've seen the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Spike Lee, and others make the trip to San Antonio to support the Knicks as they have all season. They are expected to lead a list of celebrities and former players showing their face courtside for Game 3. President Trump is also scheduled to attend Game 3, though he will be watching from a suite.
See below for those who are taking over Madison Square Garden's "Celebrity Row" for Game 3 of the NBA Finals:
On a rare practice day during the Stanley Cup Final, local fans flocked to City National Arena to show support for their Vegas Golden Knights. They all wore jerseys or other merchandise bearing the gold helmet, and many carried signs.
A well-attended open practice is nothing out of the ordinary– the Golden Knights have opened their doors for fans to attend practices and morning skates all year. Even for a typical practice during the regular season, you can expect the stands at City National Arena to be fairly full. As the playoffs have progressed, so too has the attendance level.
But all other open practices paled in comparison to the scene at City National Arena on Monday.
Inside, there were so many fans that the practice rink the Golden Knights were skating on couldn’t hold them all. All the excess fans who didn’t make the cut formed a long line snaking through the entire lobby. The lucky fans who made it inside the practice rink were packed together in the stands like too many sardines in a small can.
👀 This is wild.
There is a line of fans wrapped around inside the lobby of City National Arena waiting to have a chance at getting a glimpse at the sheet of ice where the Golden Knights are practicing #ForgedInGoldpic.twitter.com/qIhlvWRxQm
Outside the rink, fans lined the sidewalks in hopes of interacting with players as they entered and exited the rink. A DJ stood alongside them, bumping music and keeping the good times rolling. Around the practice facility, the parking lots overflowed to the point where they had to open up a third lot.
During practice, the fans reacted as the team skated and ran drills as if they were watching a winner-take-all Game 7. They cheered for every goal, and cheered just as loudly for every save.
“We definitely feel the support of the community,” said defenseman Jeremy Lauzon after practice. “It’s been amazing. It gives us a lot of energy during games. And during practice today, it was fun to have them out there, chanting for us. I love playing here and playing in front of those fans. It’s been great.”
Another day, another major rumor involving the Florida Panthers.
Despite their season ending without any participation in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in seven years, the Panthers have been in the middle of the news quite a bit over the past several weeks.
A big reason why is the top-10 draft pick Florida’s injury-plagued season yielded them.
That ninth overall selection at the 2026 NHL Draft, which is set for later this month at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, gives the Panthers a major asset to shop around with.
To this point, Florida has been mentioned in the same breath as several big-names potentially available via trade, though the biggest have been goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington.
That is likely due to the Panthers not having any goalies under contract for next season, and the reported gap in extension negotiations with longtime netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.
But now, Florida’s name has come up with perhaps the biggest name that could be on the move this summer.
Larkin, who will be 30 years old on Opening Night, has a full no-trade clause in his contract, which pays him an average annual value (AAV) of $8.7 million through the 2030-31 season.
He’s averaged 32 goals and 70 points over the past five seasons in Detroit, where he’s played his entire 11-year career after growing up 30 miles outside the city in Waterford, Michigan.
Unfortunately for Larkin and the Red Wings, he has not touched the ice for a playoff game since his rookie season back in 2016.
Enduring year after year of regular season failure has seemingly been enough to push Larkin to request a trade out of town, and on Monday we learned that he handed Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman a short list of teams that he would accept a trade to.
None of those three teams are particularly surprising, as each of them are very much in win-now mode.
Vegas is two wins away from a second Stanley Cup in four seasons, and the Wild are certainly on a short list of teams in the Western Conference that would be considered Cup contenders.
The Panthers are expected to return to the level of play we’ve seen from them in recent seasons, with a deep roster full of players in their primes who have championship experience.
One would have to think that of those three options, a Florida offer would have to be something significant for Yzerman to trade Larkin within the Atlantic Division, but with the player holding the majority of the power, it could make for an interesting back-and-forth between the two teams.
Another major element to consider is that the Panthers already have three high-end centers locked into long-term contracts: Sasha Barkov, Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell.
Barkov is not going anywhere, and while GMs from across the league have called Florida about Lundell over the past several seasons, he’s another player that Florida has no intention of giving up.
Bennett has shown to be an integral piece of Florida’s lineup, as evidenced by how the team struggles when you remove either of their top two centermen from the roster. His gritty, tenacious nature that combines with the natural offensive skill create a player who personifies the kind of hard-nosed hockey that the Panthers have perfected under Head Coach Paul Maurice.
So where would Larkin fit in if Florida wasn’t willing to part ways with either of the aforementioned centers?
It’s not unheard of for a player who takes faceoffs to play a wing position, as is the case with Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen with the Panthers.
Depending which side of the ice a faceoff is taking place, Maurice will sometimes have a different player take the draw.
The point is, just because the Panthers are already set down the middle with centers, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t make room for Larkin without disrupting their incredible depth.
But the room will have to come from somewhere.
Florida’s ninth overall pick would likely be involved in any Larkin deal, but what else would it take?
The Red Wings will likely want something in return that will also help them win now, as they will potentially be trying to break their 10-season playoff drought without their captain and best player in Larkin.
In that deal, Florida would send their first-round pick along with Luostarinen and prospect Sandis Vilmanis to the Red Wings in exchange for Larkin.
To be honest, my first thought when viewing that deal was, “That’s all it would take?”
Vilmanis has looked like he’s ready to become a solid middle-six forward next season after a strong initial showing with Florida this year, while Florida has been able to hide Luostarinen with their depth, keeping the highly skilled, two-way forward who is a natural centermen as a bit of a secret weapon on their third line.
This deal would be interesting financially for Florida, as it would add $5.7 million to their cap hit for next season (Larkin’s $8.7M hit minus Eetu’s $3M hit), leaving the Panthers with around $9.5 million in cap space to sign two goalies and any depth pieces, as well as their three restricted free agents, forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Cole Schwindt and defenseman Donovan Sebrango, if they so choose.
Still, one would have to think it will take more for a team to pry Larkin away from the Red Wings, especially when dealing with a division rival.
It also will depend on the kind of offers that Vegas and Minnesota would potentially put together, as well as the possibility of Larkin’s list of teams growing between now and next season depending on how things play out with his original three.
Any deal including Florida’s first round pick would need to happen between now and June 26, when that selection will be made in Buffalo.
What do you think it would take for the Panthers to acquire Larkin from Detroit? Is that something you’d be interested in, or should Florida try to update their roster in other places, like in goal?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Photo caption: Jan 17, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) skates away with the puck in front of Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 25: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 25, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two Reds fans really wanted to get their hands on a baseball stuck just over the outfield wall during a game between Cincinnati and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Sunday.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, St. Louis outfielder Bryan Torres hit a shot toward right field, and it just snuck over the wall for a two-run blast. But the ball wedged itself between the fence and a back wall, making itself ripe for the taking.
Two fans, a father and son duo, attempted to build an impromptu human claw machine to reach the ball. The father held his son over the wall by his legs and lowered him slowly down toward the ball. Similar to a typical slippery claw machine in an arcade, the prize was not obtained — but the reason for the miss was different.
Stadium security arrived quickly and stopped the two from carrying out their plan.
Dad and son try to reach the ball stuck just above the home run wall at Busch Stadium. @RedsDaily4/X
Funny and diabolical moment from the Reds game earlier today.
This kid wanted the ball so his dad held him by the feet to try to get it until security quickly said absolutely not.
No matter the outcome, it created a funny situation that was caught on camera during the Reds’ broadcast.
“That dude is going to sacrifice his son,” one of the announcers said.
Unfortunately for the family, they left Busch Stadium without a ball or a Reds win as the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory.
The home run by Torres was the difference maker, as it gave the Cardinals the lead they’d hang on to.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Those three losses for the Reds saw them fall to the bottom of the National League Central. Almost the opposite can be said for the Cardinals, who now sit second in the division and hold the top NL wild-card spot.
Still, the Reds have a solid chance of making the playoffs, at least at this point in June. They sit just 2 1/2 games behind for the third wild-card spot held, which is held by the Diamondbacks.
The New York Knicks didn't have to search too far for a halftime performer.
The Knicks tapped Grammy award-winning rapper and New York native Cardi B to provide halftime entertainment for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
Cardi B is the latest New York native to turn the basketball court into her stage. Singer Mary J. Blige served as the halftime performer during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
The rapper recently wrapped her critically-acclaimed Little Miss Drama Tour, which featured two stops in New York at Madison Square Garden in March. It's not clear which songs she'll perform, but Cardi B's discography includes hit songs "Bodak Yellow" and "Hello" among many others.
Cardi B has attended several Knicks games over the years, including Game 4 of the Eastern Conference last year alongside NFL beau Stefon Diggs.
Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 24: (EDITORS NOTE: A long exposure was used in camera to produce this image.) The roof closes as the smallest panel rotates along the tracks after the Toronto Blue Jays victory against the Cincinnati Reds after their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 24, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 67.
Today would be a good day to in win a third game in a row.
So there is news. Dylan Cease will start tomorrow’s game and Max Scherzer will start on Wednesday. Alejandro Kirk could be back Friday.
Yimi Garcia pitches for the Bison’s Wednesday, maybe back with the Jays after that, or maybe one more rehab appearance. Shane Bieber starts for Buffalo Thursday.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 07: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, June 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees clear out of the city ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals as they travel to Cleveland tonight to open a three-game series against the Guardians. If it feels like you are experiencing a bit of déjà vu, that is because these two clubs just wrapped up a series in the Bronx a few days ago. The Yankees dropped two of three in that match-up and will look to flip the script on the shores of Lake Erie.
The Yankees are most recently coming off a two-game split with the Red Sox that saw the middle game of the series postponed. In the finale, the Yankees got two big home runs. One came from Cody Bellinger and the other from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who launched his big fly with a stolen bat, adding another token from a fallen teammate to his growing collection.
Those two and the rest of the Yankees offense will square off against Gavin Williams. Williams earned the win against New York last week after allowing three earned runs on four hits across 5.1 innings. The right-hander is in the midst of the best season of his young career, entering tonight at 9-3 with a 3.20 ERA. He has been even better at Progressive Field, posting a 4-1 record and 2.29 ERA in the land.
Countering for Aaron Boone and the Yankees is Will Warren. The Mississippi Magician is also having the best season of his career thus far in 2026. In 12 starts, Warren sits at 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA. Warren’s last start was that wild game versus the Athletics some eight days ago. In his last two starts, both on the road, Warren went six innings and only gave up two earned runs total.
Cleveland’s offense is not a high-powered machine, but it has a knack for doing just enough to win games. The Guardians enter tonight atop the AL Central thanks largely to their pitching staff and a lineup led by rising star Travis Bazzana and franchise cornerstone José Ramírez. Those two will bat 1-2 tonight. Warren’s job will be simple in theory and difficult in practice: keep those two off the bases and force the rest of the lineup to beat him.
Last week the Guardians outscored the Yankees 15-10 in the team’s first series without Aaron Judge this season. Boone will deploy a heavy dose of left-handed bats tonight hoping to fluster Williams. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Bellinger, Jazz, Spencer Jones, Ryan McMahon, and J.C. Escarra all find themselves in the lineup, while Paul Goldschmidt and José Caballero are the lone right-handed hitters. Goldschmidt is the designated hitter tonight and Caballero will play shortstop.
In the last matchup, Jazz, using his own bat, and Caballero both took Williams deep. Rice also doubled off the Cleveland starter. While this game and series have all the makings of a trap series overshadowed by whatever happens at Madison Square Garden tonight, it could also be the type of game that helps spark a run from the Yankees offense. Here is hoping a second look at Williams in such a short span swings the advantage towards the Bombers.
The Yankees will try to take Game 1 in Cleveland. The Knicks will try to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. What is your final score prediction for both games tonight?
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Manager Craig Stammen #14 of the San Diego Padres relieves Randy Vásquez #98 in the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park on June 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres forced a rubber match against the New York Mets on Saturday night with some late-inning heroics from catcher Freddy Fermin. Fermin showed similar heroics with a two-run shot on Sunday’s series finale. But, this time, it was too little, too late.
That said, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Padres were in an early hole with starter Randy Vásquez surrendering four runs across four shaky innings of work. The bullpen didn’t do much to help, with Yuki Matsui surrendering two solo homers and Ron Marinaccio giving up another run.
The Friars had three rallies quashed by incredible defensive plays by the Mets. San Diego’s been in a major funk lately, but it wasn’t the offense’s fault this time. The at-bats looked good, and the Friars made solid contact, but their luck on batted balls was poor. They’ll hope to turn things around this week against the similarly struggling Cincinnati Reds.
Taking the mound
Andrew Abbott (CIN) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
Both Abbott and Buehler have had subpar, but serviceable, seasons for their respective teams. The former had an incredible 2025 campaign, posting a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts. 2026 has shaped up to be the worst year of his short career, with a 4.06 ERA through 68 2/3 innings.
However, Abbott’s pitched well when facing the majority of the Friars. The exception to that is Fernando Tatis Jr., who owns a career .385 batting average in 13 at-bats against the lefty.
Buehler’s had a similar rough year but has bounced back recently. This season he’s been saddled with a 4.53 ERA but has a 3.86 mark in his last seven starts. The right-hander has also not faced much of the opposing team’s lineup. However, of those he has faced, only Nathaniel Lowe owns a batting average higher than .200 (five-plus at-bats).
Buehler just pitched a gem against the Philadelphia Phillies last week, allowing just one run across six innings of work. He’ll need to similarly limit a potent Reds’ lineup to help the Padres to a series opening victory on Monday night.
Batter up!
The lineup had plenty of bright spots in Sunday’s series finale. Tatis and Jackson Merrill went 2-for-7 with two walks. Samad Taylor went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored two runs. But player of the game for San Diego was Fermin, going 2-for-4 and knocking in all three of the Padres’ runs.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Miguel Andujar, DH
Sung-Mun Song, 2B
Rodolfo Durán, C
After Fermin caught the last two consecutive games, Durán will start for the Friars tonight. He’s had a good eye for the strike zone lately but hasn’t shown an aptitude for hitting as of yet.
Song had a great performance in Saturday’s win, going 2-for-2 with a walk. His offensive breakout would be huge for San Diego in moving Tatis back to his regular position in right field.
Relief corps
With Vásquez going just four innings, the Padres tasked their relievers to cover multiple innings. Matsui went 1 2/3 innings in what was his worst outing of the year. Marinaccio went 2 1/3 in a solid appearance, and Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless, albeit shaky, ninth inning.
That will leave plenty of high-leverage spots available for the series opener against Cincinnati. Jason Adam, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be fresh out of the ‘pen for San Diego.
Jun 1, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock (26) throws against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Mariners will look to shake off a disappointing weekend series in Detroit – capped by a bummer of a walkoff yesterday – by opening a four-game series against the Orioles in Camden Yards. They’ll be doing so without their starting shortstop, though, as J.P. Crawford was officially placed on the injured list after missing the last two games thanks to a hit-by-pitch on the hand from (who else?) Framber Valdez. Ryan Bliss has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
Lineups:
You might be surprised to see Bliss in the lineup at the keystone already, but Colt Emerson was a late scratch thanks to back tightness. Don’t like that one bit. Cole Young will take over at shortstop in the interim, and we get a third straight day of Jhonny Pereda behind home plate. Emerson Hancock will take the mound, and will look to stretch his streak of allowing two or fewer runs in a start to five. Trey Gibson will get the start for the O’s, coming up for Chris Bassitt who himself landed on the IL this morning, and we also get to see old friend Leody Taveras batting fifth and playing right field.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 27: Starting pitcher Trey Gibson #43 of the Baltimore Orioles works the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 27, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles can’t linger long on their disappointing loss to the Blue Jays yesterday, as they’re back in Baltimore and back in action this evening to open a four-game set against the Mariners. The M’s, who lead the AL West with a 34-32 record, represent the Orioles’ toughest opponent since they faced the Rays at Camden Yards two weeks ago. That series turned out excellently for the Birds, so maybe this one will do the same.
The O’s pulled the old starting pitcher switcheroo this afternoon. Chris Bassitt, who left his previous outing with lower back tightness, was thought to be recovering quickly enough to start tonight, but apparently not. The O’s placed Bassitt on the 15-day IL today and called up Trey Gibson to take the ball. This will be Gibson’s fourth major league appearance and third start. In his last one, May 27 against the Rays, he gave up six hits and four walks but danced out of trouble at every turn, limiting the damage to one run and earning his first MLB win.
Meanwhile, the Orioles’ offense faces a tough customer in M’s righty Emerson Hancock and his 2.80 ERA. You might notice that the O’s lineup looks a little bit different. Neither Adley Rutschman nor Samuel Basallo (who left Sunday’s game with a wrist injury) are in the lineup, as Sam Huff starts at catcher for the O’s for the first time since April 19. Gunnar Henderson, who committed a crucial error and was prominently involved in the non-double-play no-call against the Jays, will get a break from the field as the DH, with Blaze Alexander replacing him.
The red-hot Colton Cowser will be batting cleanup for the first time this year. Interestingly, he’ll also be starting in center and Leody Taveras in right instead of the other way around. I think Taveras has more range than Cowser but has had trouble fielding fly balls near the wall, so maybe the Orioles are hoping this will provide a marginal defensive upgrade. Let’s see how it plays out.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward DH Gunnar Henderson 1B Pete Alonso CF Colton Cowser RF Leody Taveras 2B Jackson Holliday 3B Coby Mayo SS Blaze Alexander C Sam Huff
RHP Trey Gibson
Mariners lineup:
2B Cole Young CF Julio Rodríguez 1B Josh Naylor LF Randy Arozarena RF Luke Raley DH Dominic Canzone 3B Patrick Wisdom SS Colt Emerson C Jhonny Pereda
May 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Blech. Yesterday’s bullpen blowup was so bad, the Red Sox traveled to visit first-place Tampa Bay, against whom they probably won’t have a lead to squander. That’s some chess strategy right there. Speaking of which, as a guy who plays a lot of online chess, I hate the “4D chess” analogy. It’s plenty hard enough as it is! Stop using it!
Connelly Early gets the start, which is neat, at least:
He’ll face Ian Seymour as an opener. Here’s the full Rays slate:
I don’t feel great about this one, folks, but maybe Early can keep it from getting late out there? At least they’ll be playing inside the ugliest stadium in the sport. That ought to ease the pain, amirite?
This report comes after Babcock messaged Dreger on May 20 about potentially coaching again in the NHL, and he said, "Dregs, I'm retired. Loving it."
However, contrary to what he told Dreger, it seems that Babcock is open to joining the fifth team of his NHL coaching career.
There is some controversy attached to Babcock in a couple of different situations from his past.
Babcock coached the Maple Leafs for five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20. After his tenure in Toronto, there were reports that he asked Mitch Marner, a rookie at the time, to provide a list of players ranked from hardest-working to least hardest-working. With that list, Babcock then shared the results with the rest of the team, putting Marner in an awkward and embarrassing spot.
In his last stint in the NHL, with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he didn't get to coach his team for one game. He was hired on July 1, 2023, but resigned two months later on Sept. 17 after allegations of him invading the privacy of his players.
Nonetheless, the Oilers are doing their due diligence and consulted with the NHLPA regarding any objections from the committee to potentially naming him as head coach.
Furthermore, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Babcock has spoken directly to the Oilers' owner, Daryl Katz. And while the final decision is up to Katz, because of Babcock's history, Edmonton's players would need to be on board.
Well, it turns out that Babcock also met with several members of the team's leadership group, per Friedman's sources, and that apparently "was enough to eliminate any potential objection."
With these reports, TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Monday noted that Babcock could be joined by D.J. Smith, who is another former member of the Maple Leafs coaching staff. Babcock and Smith stood behind the bench together in Toronto for four years.
With the Maple Leafs, Babcock led Toronto to three third-place finishes in the Atlantic Division, falling in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of those campaigns.
In total, Babcock coached the Leafs for 351 regular-season games, earning a 173-133-45 record, as well as 20 playoff games and an 8-12 post-season record.
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Monday was the dawn of a new era for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Out is Daryl Morey, who served as the franchise’s president of basketball operations for six seasons. In is Mike Gansey, who previously served as the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gansey spoke to reporters for the first time at the team’s practice facility in Camden. He didn’t divulge much (who needs a “we sold high” type of quote on their first day?), but made it clear he wants to build around the team’s Big 4 while fostering a positive culture from the front office on down.
After Gansey’s introductory presser, Bob Myers and the newly-promoted Jameer Nelson spoke as well. Here are five takeaways from the day.
Building around the Big 4
Again, there wasn’t a ton of clarity as far as the direction Gansey wants to go, but there were plenty of questions surrounding Joel Embiid and the team’s ability to be a contender with three max contracts.
The main goal is obvious — though it’s easier said than done.
“I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him so far,” Gansey said of the former MVP. “Excited to meet with him this week. … 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.”
Gansey pointed to the fact that the Sixers were 24-14 with Embiid on the floor and to the upset of the Boston Celtics in the first round of the postseason. He didn’t sugarcoat things (more on that in a bit) or attempt to gaslight the fan base. The reality is there’s little other recourse. Embiid is owed a lot of money over the next three seasons and Paul George over the next two.
It makes sense to not obsess over the dual timeline situation and just build the best team possible with the resources at hand.
“I don’t look at it as a timeline,” Gansey said, “I just look at like we have those four and we got to maximize those four. Obviously, VJ [Edgecombe] and Tyrese [Maxey] are younger, but Paul and Joel can still play at a high level. … We gotta rely on those four, and obviously keep them on the floor, and then just build around them.”
Building the culture
Morey has long been known as one of the smartest minds in basketball. It’s an earned reputation.
With that said, the biggest criticism of Morey is how cold and calculated he could be. The Jared McCain trade — which did not go over well in the Sixers’ locker room — is a decent example. You could understand some of the basketball reasons for the decision, but, ultimately, it might’ve been a bit shortsighted.
Gansey seems like he’s viewed as an antidote to the disconnect between the front office and the players — and really everyone else in the organization.
“My philosophy is simple: build a culture rooted in character, work ethic, competitiveness, accountability and teamwork,” Gansey said in his opening statement. “Our fans deserve a team that they can be proud of. There will be alignment throughout the entire organization with a relentless focus on putting our players and staff in the best position to succeed.”
The word “alignment” came up an awful lot. With the turmoil surrounding the Sixers for the last decade or so, it’s fair to wonder how much “alignment” there’s been.
Gansey seems intent on changing the culture here. He talked about wanting to be “attached at the hip” to head coach Nick Nurse and speaking with all of the players about what this team needs. Will it lead to more wins? Who knows? But the organization clearly needs to try something different.
“I want guys that want to be in Philly, first and foremost,” he said. “Obviously, guys that can fit around our players that we have currently under contract, and I want fountains, not drains. I want guys with high character, guys with high work ethics, and guys that want to be in Philadelphia.”
Building an identity
But it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies.
The reality is the Sixers are in one of the weirdest spots in the league. They had what could be considered a decent season, upsetting the second-seeded Celtics in the first round. They were also handily swept in the second round by the New York Knicks, who currently hold a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. It’s clear the gap between the Sixers and Knicks is massive.
Gansey is now charged with bridging that gap.
“They got swept in the second round, so it’s not a championship-caliber team right now,” Gansey said, “but we’re going to work on that. Getting the Big 4 together on the floor, but we’re going to do everything we can to bring players in here that fit, and that obviously can help. … We got a great staff here, and we’re going to do everything we can to get the best players in here to help us get to the mountaintop.”
“Identity” was another buzzword used by all of Gansey, Myers and Nelson. With all the uncertainty surrounding the statuses of Embiid and George, it was nearly impossible for the 2025-26 team to create one. They were essentially middle-of-the-pack by most statistical measures.
There wasn’t any one thing they could hang their hat on.
“We gotta find an identity. We just don’t have one,” Myers said. “I mean, that’s maybe a harsh thing to say, but look at the numbers. I mean, we were not elite offensively or defensively, and … if you’re gonna win at the highest level, you gotta be great at something. We have the capabilities, I think, and we have the players and some of the talent, but in order to see what we are, we’ve got to be on the floor.”
The front office triumvirate
For those unfamiliar, Gansey was a very good college basketball player at Saint Bonaventure before transferring to West Virginia. He then spent a few years bouncing around playing in the G League, overseas and getting NBA summer league invites.
Myers, who stands at 6-foot-7, had a decent college career at UCLA, helping the Bruins reach the Elite Eight in 1996-97.
And we’re all familiar with Nelson’s playing career.
It’s an interesting dynamic. The franchise has gone from more analytics-driven executives like Sam Hinkie and Morey to people who played the game at a high level. That doesn’t mean analytics won’t be involved in the decision-making (they will) or that it will lead to success.
But it does change things for an organization in desperate need of a shake-up.
“I think it’s helped me a lot throughout my career,” Gansey said, “just because I’ve been in the locker room, I’ve been in wars, I played with some of the guys who are still playing in this league a little bit in college, so I think my understanding of maybe what they’re going through day to day. They’re going through training camp, or they’re exhausted, or the travel, or their confidence is low, like I can kind of relate to them a little bit, and say, ‘hey, I didn’t play at the highest level, but I played at a pretty good level,’ where they can come to me and ask me questions, and I can relate to them a little bit more than maybe someone that didn’t play.”
What’s next?
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft will take place on June 23. The Sixers will have the 22nd overall selection — a pick they received in the McCain trade that originally belonged to the Houston Rockets.
For so many reasons, it’s crucial for the Sixers to nail this pick. Right after that will be free agency.
“I think with where we’re at now … we have pick 22 in the draft, we got to hit on that,” Gansey said. “We got to get a good player there. Just building depth. We got to get guys in here in free agency that we like, we got to get minimum guys, and then the big part is just internal development with Tyrese, VJ, and some of our other young guys, they got to get better too. I think it’s internal growth, 22 and then free agency, and trying to add as much depth as we can to this roster.”
The good news for the Sixers is Gansey has already been doing draft prep for the Cavaliers, who hold the 29th overall pick. If there’s one area where you can see Gansey’s fingerprints with Cleveland, it’s the draft.
“I ran the draft in Cleveland, so I was really big on the player personnel and the valuation, but I’m a connector. I build relationships with everyone in the building, all the way from our star player to the janitor.”
The Phillies kept their foot on the gas north of the border.
And by doing so, they gave Cristopher Sánchez run support, which in 2026 almost feels unfair.
Philadelphia faced longtime NL East foe Patrick Corbin, a lefty the Phillies have historically handled well. The 36-year-old made his 12th start of the season for a Blue Jays rotation decimated by injuries.
Toronto has leaned heavily on Corbin, who signed on April 4, a week into the season, made his first start on April 10 and has not missed a turn since.
That reliance caught up to the soft-tossing lefty Monday in Philadelphia’s 5-2 victory at Rogers Centre.
The Phillies ran Corbin after just three-plus innings. They grinded at-bats again and again, pushing his pitch count to 79.
That has become a common theme during the Phillies’ recent surge.
After lulling the Phils to sleep with his low-80s slider through the first five batters, Corbin ran into Bryson Stott. In a left-on-left matchup, Stott worked a long plate appearance while Corbin kept pitching him to the outer half.
Stott fouled off five of the eight pitches.
After Corbin delivered a slider and sinker below the zone, he went back to the same spot with a cutter. Stott flicked it to right-center field for a two-out double.
His aggressiveness on pitches out of the zone has shot up this year. Lately, it has worked for him.
Adolis García came up next, got ahead 2-1 and saw Corbin float a slider middle-low. García got his arms extended, stayed back on the 78.2 mph breaking ball and drove it 104.8 mph off the bat.
The ball traveled 406 feet into the left-center field seats for his third homer in his last five games.
“Adolis is getting us going,” Don Mattingly said. “Stott gets the hit there with two outs, just to keep that inning alive, and then Adolis gets a pitch. He’s been working hard. It’s good to see it when a guy works and has struggled and is coming out of that.”
Even through the Phillies’ offensive struggles, they have been one of the best two-out offenses in baseball. Entering Monday, they had the fourth-highest OPS in those spots.
They had more answers in the third.
Another part of their offensive surge has been the ability to string baserunners together. Corbin lost the zone against Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, walking both with one out. He then drilled Brandon Marsh.
With the bases loaded, Alec Bohm laced a 2-2 pitch for an RBI single. J.T. Realmuto ambushed a first-pitch sinker for another run-scoring single. Then Corbin lost the zone again, walking Stott with the bases loaded.
The Phillies made Corbin throw strikes. When he did not, they took the free bases. When he did, they made him pay.
“We did a nice job right there,” Mattingly said. “Scoring some early there with Sánchez, it’s obviously a good feeling with him.”
Before the Phillies’ matchup with White Sox lefty Anthony Kay, opposing left-handed starters, excluding openers, had produced a 2.04 ERA against them with a .566 opponents OPS.
In their last two games against lefties, the Phillies have scored 11 runs in seven innings and posted a 1.149 OPS.
Their right-handed bats have gotten going against southpaws. That is a key piece if the club is going to maintain the success that has driven its turnaround.
After scoring five runs in the first three innings, the Phillies could not muster much against Toronto’s bullpen.
So they turned to Sánchez.
For a pitcher who had just gone 50 2/3 innings without allowing a run, this was not his best outing from a stuff standpoint.
He allowed a leadoff double in the first, which later came around to score. He allowed a solo homer to Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement in the fifth. Then he allowed another leadoff double in the sixth.
But the way Sánchez responded to trouble made this edition of his season impressive.
In the sixth, after the double, he struck out the side.
George Springer swinging.
Nathan Lukes swinging.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looking.
Runner left on third.
Sánchez walked off the mound screaming in excitement.
“Not only because it was Vladdy, but it was more about having a runner, nobody out, and then striking out the side,” Sánchez said.
He came back out for the seventh, and Toronto put together another threat. The Blue Jays brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.
At 101 pitches, Sánchez wanted one more batter.
He made that clear to Mattingly.
“I don’t like leaving guys on base,” Sánchez said. “That’s one of the main reasons. And I felt great today, even though I had close to 100 pitches.”
Mattingly stayed in the dugout.
“It was almost a visit and see where he’s at,” Mattingly said. “But he made that easy. He wanted one more, so always go with him.”
Sánchez went right after pinch-hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela and got a groundout to end the inning.
A gutsy seven innings.
Two runs. One walk. Ten strikeouts. 107 pitches.
His sinker was hit hard, but he leaned on his slider and changeup for big outs. Both pitches generated whiff rates above 40 percent.
Over Sánchez’s last seven starts, he has walked just five of the 195 batters he has faced.
Tremendous.
Even after allowing two runs in seven innings, Sánchez’s ERA still sits at 1.54.
The Phils got into trouble with Brad Keller in the eighth, but held on behind Jhoan Duran’s 16th save in 16 opportunities this season.
They keep finding new ways to win, and they are now sitting comfortably in the National League Wild Card picture.
