Ten games to watch from the Sixers’ 2026-27 season

The march toward the 2026-27 season has been unlike any other in the history of the 76ers’ franchise. In one offseason, the organization hired Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations, traded for Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James.

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That series of events has created quite a bit of excitement in Philly. Ticket prices were jacked up at Xfinity Mobile Arena. James murals went up all over town. And fans were riled up after a slimmed down Joel Embiid arrived to informal workouts ready in midseason shape.

That all predated Thursday’s release of the 76ers’ full season schedule. We’d been given a brief look at marquee games, including opening week, Christmas Day and more. Now with the full schedule in front of us, here are 10 games to watch from one of the more anticipated Sixers season in recent memory.

The NBA has leaned into this rivalry in recent years for several reasons. The ‘Nova Knicks have numerous Philly connections and these two historical franchises both failed to reach the mountain top for decades. That finally changed for the Knicks in June after knocking off the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals as part of their NBA championship rise. Now that the Sixers have formed a “Big 5″ and could turn the tide of what was a one-sided battle. A matchup on ring night and another on Oct. 30 could deliver an early postseason matchup.

Folks in Philly will get their first look at the new-look Sixers as James faces one his former teams. This meeting will have a little extra sauce after James considered the Cavaliers in free-agency and did not pick home in his “final decision.” The Cavaliers have the continuity advantage after they doubled down on their roster with Donovan Mitchell signing a big extension and James Harden expected to re-sign this summer.

There has been no love lost between Brown and the Celtics since he was traded to the Sixers on July 1. Brown is still coming to grips with the separation after spending the first 10 years of his career in Boston. In the meantime, some behind-the-scenes issues from his tenure there have started to emerge, as he and Jayson Tatum have carried on a cold war of sorts in the media and Brad Stevens struggled to offer a front-facing explain for the deal that took on an aging Paul George. Brown, fresh off his “favorite season” as the centerpiece in Boston, will need to learn to fit into a star-studded Sixers roster. But on this night he’ll likely take center stage.

This game takes on significance for a number of reasons, chiefly Embiid’s return to Houston for the first time since he underwent an emergency appendectomy in April. That surgery was one in a long line of ill-timed Embiid injuries. Finally on a team with tangible title hopes, Embiid’s quest to stay healthy has never been more important.

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Ownership weirdness aside, the Lakers are still one of the NBA’s cornerstone franchises. It’s the reason James chose them in 2018 when he last entertained changing teams. It’s the reason he made waves this summer when he declared his intention to leave the west coast. Prior to that public divorce, the Lakers already appeared to be trending in another direction with Luka Doncic on a max deal and Austin Reaves signed to another contract extension this offseason. Even at 41 years old, James will have extra motivation on Christmas Day in Los Angeles.

The Sixers and Miami Heat play their first game against one another this season Nov. 25. But with new rosters on both sides, both franchises will still be figuring things out at that stage of the season. This Jan. 8 meeting will be the real matchup. By then, James, Brown and new Heat star Giannis Giannis Antetokounmpo will all have had time meshing with their new rosters and figuring out life in new cities. The East is a complete gauntlet and these two franchises are part of what has altered the conference.

Brown’s decision to hold his press conference was a sign that he intends to put down real roots in Philly. He first made that type of connection to a city in Boston, and will hold a block party later this month to add a bow on his tenure there. Celtics fans have the same love for Brown, who won the conference finals and Finals MVP as he helped deliver the Celtics a title in 2024. So this will be a love fest in the moments before the game starts. Then Brown will have to flip the switch and remember that he now plays for the team he was “programmed to hate.”

The Sixers’ seismic offseason started with one February transaction. Former Sixers guard Jared McCain was moved to the Thunder at the February trade deadline, a decision that likely spelled the end of Daryl Morey’s time in town. Sixers fans viewed his trade as the linchpin that lead to the hire of Gansey, trade for Brown and signing of James. It’s a generous reading. Still, McCain still has a lot of love in Philly and his team will serve as a crucial test for the Sixers right before All-Star break.

One of the best performances of Embiid’s career came against one of the best defenders in NBA history. Embiid scored 70 points against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22, 2024, which was also one of the final moments Embiid looked fully healthy. He suffered a meniscus injury shorty after and underwent left knee surgery. Embiid’s health will be critical for the Sixers’ title hopes. This will should serve as a nice test for him right before the playoffs.

Speaking of tests, this is the final stretch of season for the Sixers before they likely start to wind down and load manage before the postseason. So against Golden State, another team James considered this summer, the Sixers will get to play against a franchise with championship pedigree even if they are past their prime years.

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