🏀 T.J. is still playing | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Sixers had a chance in 2019 to hang on to T.J. McConnell, an undrafted guard who sometimes seemed to make an impact on the game through sheer willpower. The Indiana Pacers wound up signing him for $7 million over two years. The Sixers let him walk and signed Ben Simmons to a five-year, $170 million extension.

How did that work out?

We all know what happened with Simmons. Now McConnell is a 10-year veteran, two victories away from an NBA title as the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder square off tonight at 8:30 (ABC). He made a difference off the bench in Game 3 of the Finals with five steals and five assists in 15 minutes of playing time. Things have worked out just fine for McConnell.

“I was upset in the beginning that it didn’t work in Philly,” he told our Keith Pompey last week. “But I’m very thankful to come to a place like this. Very, very thankful.”

Indiana is grateful to have him. “His energy is unbelievable,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton told reporters.

The Sixers saw the value in keeping McConnell around, Mike Sielski writes, but they decided they didn’t need him. It was yet another Sixers decision gone wrong.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, [email protected].

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Philadelphia will be a host city for the spectacle that is the FIFA World Cup next summer, and to whet the region’s appetite, Lincoln Financial Field will host eight games in the Club World Cup starting Monday. The first match at the Linc will pit Brazilian club Flamengo against Tunisian side Espérance.

The Club World Cup has seen its share of controversy, but Philadelphia’s games will include some of the sport’s very best, including England’s Chelsea and Manchester City, Italy’s Juventus, and Spain’s Real Madrid. Our Jonathan Tannenwald digs deep in his preview of the event.

When the tournament begins Saturday night in Miami, officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection will work alongside local law enforcement to double as security. It is not clear whether those measures will be taken in the games at the Linc.

As soon as the calendar flips from May each year, Kyle Schwarber seems to unlock another level of power.

Schwarber, whose career OPS in June is .912, averages one home run per every 10.94 at-bats during the month. That ranks him third in MLB history out of hitters with at least 600 at-bats. The only names ahead of him? Babe Ruth (every 10.64 at-bats) and Mark McGwire (every 10.8 at-bats).

It’s been a quirk of Schwarber’s career that has inspired the nickname “the Junebarian.” And with Bryce Harper out of the lineup, the Phillies could use Schwarber turning around what has been an uncharacteristically unproductive June.

Next: The Phillies open a home series against the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:45 tonight (NBCSP). Ranger Suárez (4-1, 2.70 ERA) will start against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.87).

The Sixers are exploring every option possible to secure an impact player in the NBA draft. A source confirmed that the team has talked with the San Antonio Spurs, who are expected to select Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper with the second pick. It might seem excessive to move up just one spot, but the Sixers are in desperate need of a star.

Danny Brière has said he thinks the Flyers are in a position to shift from subtracting to potentially adding to the roster this summer.

They now have that chance as Stars winger Jason Robertson is reportedly available, with Dallas looking to retool its roster, recoup draft capital, and free up salary-cap room. Enter the Flyers, who are armed with seven of the first 48 picks in this June’s draft and starved for a star.

Should the Flyers make a push for a 40-goal scorer like Robertson, even though they have bigger needs at center? Gustav Elvin makes the case that they should seize the chance to right a wrong from 2017.

Speaking of making moves, Jackie Spiegel weighs in on what she’s heard about Cam York’s future with the team and her takeaways from her trip to the NHL scouting combine in our latest Flyers roundtable.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Keith Pompey, Lochlahn March, Devin Jackson, Owen Hewitt, Kerith Gabriel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gustav Elvin, and Jackie Spiegel.

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.

Happy Father’s Day to you dads out there! Thank you for reading Sports Daily as we close out another week. Devin will be at the newsletter controls on Monday. — Jim