Three questions for the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season

The 2024-25 season was one to forget for the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite acquiring Paul George last summer, the Sixers plummeted out of the playoff race due to a host of injury issues. 

To make matters worse, Nick Nurse will likely be without Joel Embiid and George to begin the new season, too. Both All-Stars underwent surgery during the summer and could miss the opening months of the season.

Nevertheless, championship expectations remain in Philadelphia. With that in mind, here are three big questions the Sixers must answer to begin the new season.

Can they stay healthy? 

Daryl Morey has built the Sixers around two injury-prone stars. Neither Embiid nor George has been able to remain healthy in recent years. Yet, in order for the Sixers to contend for a championship, both stars must be healthy and playing at an All-Star level.

The injury concerns don't stop there, though. Tyrese Maxey was also shut down toward the end of the last campaign. His athleticism, scoring and defense are all integral to Nurse's system and the team's ability to compete against some of the younger teams in the league. 

If the Sixers can't get healthy this season, it may be time for Morey to begin looking at ways to begin a rebuilding process. 

Will VJ Edgecombe be given a sizeable role

When a contending-level team gets a high draft pick, it's always interesting to see how they navigate the players' development. You only need to look at Jonathan Kuminga's situation with the Golden State Warriors to see how things can go wrong. 

Edgecombe is joining a Sixers team that already has two young guards in Maxey and Jared McCain. However, he will need a consistent role to develop and adapt to the rigors of the NBA. Sitting him on the bench isn't going to work, especially when he's clearly got All-Star upside. 

Straddling two timelines is a dangerous decision. Yet, the Sixers have inadvertently stumbled into the situation. Now, Edgecombe will need to hope Nurse is willing to give him the playing time and freedom he needs to take the next steps in his development. 

Can the frontcourt hold up? 

The Sixers' frontcourt was an issue last season. A lack of depth and talent hindered the roster once injuries began to take hold. Yet, despite those struggles, Morey let Guerschon Yabusele walk away in free agency and hasn't made much of an effort to fill the void.

Given the injury concerns and lack of experienced depth in the frontcourt, the Sixers could find themselves struggling to compete on the interior. Yabusele was a huge part of the team's second unit last season. Losing him will be a tough blow.

Of course, that means someone else will have the opportunity to step up. Who that will be, though, is anybody's guess.