Philadelphia 76ers season preview: Opening schedule, win projection and everything to know for 2026-27

The 2026-27 NBA season is here! Check out our team previews, including power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy advice.

Record: 45-37 (7th in the East, lost 4-0 in East semifinals to Knicks)

Signings: Dean Wade (4 years, $39 million), Ariel Hukporti (1 year, $3.4 million), Anfernee Simons (2 years, $12.3 million), Caleb Love (two-way contract), LeBron James (2 years, $8 million), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1 year, $3.9 million)

Trades: Jaylen Brown (from Celtics)

Key departures: Quentin Grimes (signed with Lakers), Kelly Oubre Jr. (signed with Pacers), Paul George (traded to Celtics), Andre Drummond (signed with Knicks)

King James has arrived in Philly. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

What’s exciting: Joel Embiid has never had a better chance to win a championship, or at least get through the second round of the playoffs. LeBron is LeBron, Brown just made another All-NBA team, and Tyrese Maxey brings contagious speed and energy. What if VJ Edgecombe takes a leap in his second year too? With strong depth, the Sixers have a roster that could push for 70 wins if everything clicks. So enjoy the ride, Sixers fans.

What’s concerning: Could it all be too good to be true? LeBron is about to turn 42, Jaylen wasn’t even satisfied being the 1B in Boston, and Embiid gets hurt every single year. There are only so many shots to go around, so as nice as sharing sounds in the summer, it may not sound as nice during a skid midway through the year. But most of all, I’m concerned about Embiid. If he can’t stay on the floor, and if the Sixers can’t get stops without him, who’s gonna get blamed? Obviously Embiid. And who would a new Sixers front office try to trade to fix it? Obviously Embiid. It makes logical sense if that’s the way things go, but that would suck. If I’m a Philly fan, I want to win it all with Embiid. Anything else wouldn’t be quite as sweet. — Kevin O’Connor 

Joel Embiid: 8 turnovers. Ugly. Disgusting. He looked bad, like he hadn’t played 5-on-5 in a long time. Everyone else in the starting lineup looked decent, and the full five played together in the first half versus Brooklyn, so the starters are set. That said, I think they should bring VJ Edgecombe off the bench for Dean Wade. LeBron’s line (10/4/5, one FG attempt, 8-8 FT) shows he doesn’t need to be aggressive to still get the numbers. — Dan Titus

Opening week: 10/20 at Knicks, 10/22 vs. Cavs, 10/24 vs. Bucks

The pathway is simple: the Core Four meshes well (and plays 60+ games together), VJ Edgecombe continues to progress, and an underrated bench unit fills gaps at a high level. The potential is certainly there.

There are obvious health concerns with Embiid, and age concerns with LeBron. The depth behind Embiid is worthy of questions, even if I’m personally enamored with some of their options. There’s a world where health concerns limit the ceiling, and defensive concerns (especially the rebounding) limit their floor. — Nekias Duncan