The Sixers will get one of the NBA’s biggest stage spots right away, opening their season at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
That game is part of the league’s opening night slate and will air on NBC and Peacock. It also comes with plenty of intrigue built in: New York swept the Sixers in the second round of the playoffs last season on the way to an NBA championship, and Philadelphia enters this year looking very different from the group that lost that series.
The changes in Philly have been dramatic. The team replaced Daryl Morey with Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations and added Brown and James in a busy, high-drama summer. James will be back in the spotlight immediately, while Brown joins a roster that’s been reshaped from top to bottom.
The home opener follows quickly. The Sixers will host the Cavaliers on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.
ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with ESPN carrying the broadcast. That gives Philadelphia two nationally televised games to start the season, and both arrive before the calendar even turns to late October.
There’s a little extra layer to the Cleveland matchup, too. James is a native of Akron, Ohio and considered a return to Cleveland this offseason. Gansey also has a Cavs connection, having worked in their front office before moving to Philadelphia.
The only other schedule detail revealed Tuesday was a holiday showcase: the Sixers will play the Lakers on Christmas at 5 p.m. ET.
The NBA is scheduled to release its full 2026-27 season schedule on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Celtics Schedule Just Sparked A Jaylen Brown Debate Fans Will Feel
The NBAs opening week slate gave Boston a familiar-looking start, with the Celtics lined up to meet the Pistons on Oct. 20 and the Knicks on Oct. 23, but it also left a noticeable gap for Philadelphia followers scanning the calendar. There is no Celtics-76ers matchup in opening week, and the league also left the rivalry off the Christmas Day schedule, a pair of omissions that did not go unnoticed in a market that always watches Boston closely.
For 76ers fans, the timing has only sharpened the conversation around Jaylen Brown and what his move to Philadelphia might mean for the leagues showcase plans. The absence of an immediate head-to-head with the Celtics has already fueled speculation about whether the schedule was built to avoid one of the seasons most obvious storylines, even as the debate around Browns place in Philadelphia keeps circling without a game date to settle it. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Young Guards Are Already Building Chemistry Before Camp
Before training camp even opens, the Sixers are already getting useful run in a setting that can speed along chemistry faster than any workout drill. V.J. Edgecombe, LaBaron Philon Jr., Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow and Caleb Love were among the Philadelphia players taking part in assistant coach Rico Hines annual summer runs at UCLA, a familiar offseason stop for NBA players looking to sharpen their game against real competition.
The scrimmages also drew plenty of other NBA-level talent, including Luka Garza, Daeqwon Plowden and Johnny Juzang, giving the Sixers young guards and bigs a chance to test themselves in a lively setting before preseason camp arrives. For a team trying to build continuity with a new crop of players, those reps matter, and the early work suggests Philadelphia is already using the summer to start stitching pieces together. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Land Another Big National Spotlight With Lakers Christmas Showcase
The NBA is giving the 76ers another marquee stage, slotting Philadelphia against the Lakers on Christmas Day 2026 in a game that will air on ABC and ESPN. It is the kind of national showcase that comes with built-in buzz, especially for a franchise that seems to draw attention whenever its schedule is released. Philadelphias early-season slate is already taking shape with the Knicks set for opening night and the Cavaliers coming to town for the home opener.
For the Sixers, the broader picture will come into focus later this week when the league releases the NBA Cup group stage schedule and the full season schedule. Until then, the Christmas matchup stands out as one of the leagues premier television appointments and another reminder that Philadelphia will be under the bright lights again next season. [Read more 🡒]