2026-27 Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

The new-look Sixers enter the season with high expectations following the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.

Offseason Recap

•

Last Season

: 45-37 (7th in East, lost in conference semifinals)

• Key Additions

: Jaylen Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ariel Hukporti, LeBron James, Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade

Every 76ers move this offseason

Season Outlook

The Sixers made the biggest moves of the offseason,

trading for Jaylen Brown

and

signing free agent LeBron James

to put together the most talented core they’ve had around Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey is coming off an All-NBA season and VJ Edgecombe should be improved after an electric rookie year.

The biggest question is health, of course, with Embiid having played just 96 regular-season games over the last three years. It’s also on head coach Nick Nurse to see that the whole is at least equal to the sum of the parts, if not greater. But if it all comes together, the Sixers can do more than just make the Eastern Conference Finals.

Breakout Candidate: Anfernee Simons

Simons has been in the league for eight years, but he’s played in just 15 total playoff games, none since 2021. He was on the way back with the Celtics last season, but was then traded to Chicago in February.

So the 27-year-old still has a lot to prove as he joins his fourth team in less than two years. And he will have to fit in alongside multiple high-usage teammates. He’ll likely come off the bench, but assuming the Sixers stagger the minutes of Maxey and Brown, Simons will play most of his minutes alongside one or the other. He played 585 minutes with Brown last season, so there’s some familiarity there.

Over the last six years, Simons has shot 42.7% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, the sixth-best mark among 118 players who’ve attempted at least 1,000 over that stretch. So he can be a valuable, off-ball weapon on a team with multiple guys that can handle and pass.

1 Number To Know

32.5%

— Among 128 players who played at least 100 playoff minutes this year, the top two in usage rate were Embiid (32.5%) and Brown (32.5%). Maxey, meanwhile, averaged 11.2 minutes of possession, second most in the playoffs.

Some sacrifices will need to be made when Brown, Embiid and Maxey are on the floor together. We can expect Brown to isolate a lot less after averaging a career-high 18.7 isolations per 100 possessions (third most in the league) last season. Maxey will need to play off the ball more often, and Embiid will need to play bigger, getting more shots in the paint and living in the mid-range less than he has in recent years.

The question is if these guys, with some help from James, can create better shots for each other. Among 182 players with at least 500 field goal attempts last season, Embiid, Maxey and Brown had the 12th, 15th and 26th lowest shot-quality scores, respectively. Higher-quality shots will lead to a more efficient offense overall.

5 Must-See Matchups

Oct. 20: 76ers vs. Knicks

— The Sixers will face their biggest Eastern Conference test in Game 1 … right after the Knicks raise their championship banner to the iconic ceiling of Madison Square Garden.

Dec. 25: 76ers vs. Lakers

— The league’s five-game

Christmas Day

slate is anchored by James’ return to Los Angeles, where he last played as a visitor in 2018. It will be his 21st career Christmas game.

Jan. 6: Thunder vs. 76ers

— The Thunder have been the best team in the league over the last two years and have won four straight against the Sixers, by an average of 23.5 points. They are the ultimate test of just how good this team is.

Jan. 21: 76ers vs. Celtics

— After 10 years with the Celtics, Brown is playing for the team that eliminated them in the spring. The two teams will meet in Philadelphia in November, but Brown’s return to Boston is one of the most anticipated games on the NBA schedule.

March 21: Spurs vs. 76ers

— Embiid (who’s averaged 30.1 points against the Spurs) and Victor Wembanyama have faced each other just three times in the NBA thus far. The second of this season’s two meetings will be on a Sunday night in March.

>

Complete Regular Season Schedule

Preseason Storylines

No other team has bigger “How is this going to work?” questions than the Sixers. If all four of their stars are healthy, we’re all curious to see how the offense will run and, particularly, if James is going to be the orchestrator. Defense could be a bigger issue and, while we’re not going to judge the quality of the defense in the preseason, it will be interesting to see how the Sixers defend and how much zone they might employ to keep Embiid anchored in the paint.

Even if they do intend on keeping him near the basket, Embiid’s mobility is critical. So the biggest spotlight will be on his health and how well he’s moving after playing in just 45 (48%) of a possible 94 games last season.

Complete Preseason Schedule

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John Schuhmann has covered the NBA for more than 20 years. You can e-mail him

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