🏀 Want to be the Sixers GM? | Sports Daily Newsletter

We made it to Friday, and what a week it’s been.

The NBA draft has been interesting, and our team has been chronicling large portions of it over the now two-night extravaganza. But to me, the real fun begins Sunday night, with NBA’s soft launch, so to speak, of its free agency period.

Teams can officially begin signing players on July 6, but our sports and interactive team made you the general manager and created a way for you to build the ideal Sixers starting five from 50 of the top available players, using the team’s current cap projections — from the comfort of wherever you are today.

Spoiler alert: it’s pretty fantastic.

Also, if you read one thing this weekend, Inquirer writer Jeff Neiburg sits down with Villanova men’s basketball coach Kyle Neptune on just how warm is his seat heading into Year 3 as he prepares to lead the Wildcats back into the national spotlight.

Have a good one. 💯

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Phillies lost to the lowly Marlins on Thursday night, but that didn’t matter all that much when fans saw Bryce Harper grab his left hamstring in pain after running through first base for the final out of the game in the ninth inning. And before that, Kyle Schwarber left in the eighth inning with left groin tightness. Both players said they hadn’t felt anything like this before. Harper said, “We’ll see what it feels like tomorrow.”

Spencer Turnbull’s return to the rotation didn’t last long. He was put on the injured list with a right lat strain and could miss six to eight weeks, for now opening up an opportunity for Michael Mercado.

Next: The Phillies continue their series against Miami at 6:20 tonight (NBCSP). Cristopher Sánchez (5-3, 2.67) will start opposite Marlins right-hander Kyle Tyler (0-0, 4.50).

The Sixers will be the first to admit they were surprised that Jared McCain was still available with the No. 16 pick. The former Duke shooting guard was heralded as potentially a top 10 pick, and the franchise was concerned that the Miami Heat would swoop him up at No. 15.

However, the 6-foot-3 guard, who shot over 40% from three for the Blue Devils and set a freshman single-game record from beyond the arc, is here. Now, the team hopes McCain can replicate that success — soonish, too — as it pushes to return to the class of the Eastern Conference.

Inquirer writer Keith Pompey gets you up to speed on McCain, and what the Sixers saw when he was still on the board at No. 16.

Join Pompey and Inquirer colleague Gina Mizell for a discussion around all things free agency on July 1 via Inquirer.com’s Gameday Central on July 1.

More details below. 👇🏽

After cruising past Bolivia in their Copa América opener, the U.S. men’s national team learned soccer’s eternal lesson the hard way. Matched up with Panama in their second group stage game, USMNT star Tim Weah received a reckless red card in the game’s 16th minute, leading to a disappointing loss in Atlanta Thursday night. On Monday, the USMNT face star-studded Uruguay, a must-win — especially for manager Gregg Berhalter.

FRADY LOWN

This former Phillies pitcher is now a professional poker player with still quite a noticeable fan base. Think you know? Take a guess and click here to see if you’re correct.

40: In the aftermath of the NBA draft, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that one of the best draft classes of all time is four decades old, this year. We’re talking about the 1984 draft edition, which found four future legends selected in the first round in top pick Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets), Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls), John Stockton (Utah Jazz), and the Sixers’ own Charles Barkley, the No. 5 pick that year.

After selecting Duke’s Jared McCain with the No. 16 pick in the NBA Draft, the 76ers are gearing up for a crucial free-agency period beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday. With ample salary-cap space available, the Sixers are in a position to make significant moves to bolster their roster around All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Join Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Keith Pompey, as they recap the flurry of initial signings for the Sixers and around the league. They will also explore which players could still be available, and discuss the overall league landscape and where that leaves the Sixers in the Eastern Conference. Tune into this detailed preview of what could be a transformative period for the 76ers.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Sam Morris, DeAntae Prince, Gabriela Carroll, David Murphy, Ben Istvan, Matt Mullin, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Jeff Neiburg, Alex Coffey, Isabella DiAmore, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

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. Lochlahn will be back in your inboxes Monday morning. — Kerith