Preseason Game Preview: Knicks at 76ers, October 5, 2026

Indeed, the NBA champion New York Knicks open their preseason schedule tonight. They'll travel to face a Philadelphia 76ers club that has bolstered its own championship aspirations this summer. What was a solid but flawed Eastern Conference contender now features LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and sophomore VJ Edgecombe, assembling one of the most star-studliest lineups in the league.

For the defending champions, this scrimmage will be the first peek at what Mike Brown hopes to tweak for the upcoming season. The second-year coach has already stressed that he intends to ease his core into the exhibition slate. They had a short summer recess, after all. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG ( The Tippinator ) Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns will not shoulder heavy workloads right away, which should open the door for extended looks at the players still fighting for roster security and rotation minutes. Additionally, sophomore Mohamed Diawara will be challenged to prove that he's ready for a leap after a promising first season and fizzling out in summer league.

We'll be focused on the center position where the coaching staff is still sorting out depth behind Towns and former Sixer Andre Drummond. Journeymen James Wiseman, Tony Bradley, and Drew Eubanks are all competing in camp for the third-string spot, and Monday's game affords them a chance to show how they stack up against Embiid and ex-Knick Ariel Hukporti.