Camp Opens With Two Names Banged Up and a Center Rumor

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Thursday, September 24

The 76ers open preseason Oct. 5 against the Knicks and start the regular season Oct. 20 at the Knicks on NBC and Peacock, while Adem Bona and Caldwell-Pope nurse injuries with a shared Oct. 1 return target. The Sixer Sense is floating both a Kyle Anderson trade path and a blunt read on Nick Nurse's win-or-bust season.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

What's the first game fans can actually watch?

Preseason opens Oct. 5 against the Knicks, followed by trips to the Nets on Oct. 8 and the Celtics on Oct. 10, then a rematch with Boston at home Oct. 16. The games that count start Oct. 20, on the road against the Knicks, broadcast on NBC and Peacock — the first look at Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid together in a real game.

Who's banged up heading into camp?

Adem Bona and Caldwell-Pope are both sidelined for now, Bona with a foot and leg issue, Caldwell-Pope with a finger and arm issue on his right side, and both carry a shared target return date of Oct. 1 — before preseason even opens Oct. 5, which gives the training staff about a week of margin.

Is Bob Myers already shopping for center help?

The Sixer Sense reported Philadelphia could exploit a Raptors roster crunch to trade for Kyle Anderson, though nothing here confirms a deal is close. It fits a pattern: Bob Myers is running basketball operations on an interim basis, above the first apron, with limited means to add complementary size behind Embiid and Bona.

Is Nick Nurse really coaching for his job this season?

The Sixer Sense argued this week that Nurse is coaching a genuine win-or-bust season, not just a talking point, and the roster backs it up: a 32-year-old Embiid, a 41-year-old James and a $213.2 million payroll leave no room for a rebuilding year. Nurse enters his fourth season in Philadelphia carrying that math into every game.

The verdictNone of this is settled — not the center rumor, not the two injuries — but the calendar isn't abstract anymore: preseason has a date, and so does the opener, with a network and an opponent attached to both.

What is the 76ers' first preseason game?

The 76ers open preseason Oct. 5 at home against the Knicks.

When is the 76ers' regular season opener?

The 76ers open the regular season Oct. 20 on the road against the Knicks, airing on NBC and Peacock.