As the Philadelphia 76ers now prepare to move into the new season, they will be looking for their main stars to return healthy and lead the team back into contention. The Sixers went through a miserable 24-58 season in 2024-25 as injuries derailed any chance they had at contending for a title.

In theory, the Sixers should be contenders in the upcoming season. The trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey should be enough to keep them in the conversation of reaching the finals for the first time since 2001. This is a talented roster on paper and the East is wide-open in 2026 due to all of the injuries and newness around the conference at the moment. This is their chance to do something big if they can finally get some injury luck.

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CBS Sports ranked the top must-see matchups in the 2025-26 season and the Sixers taking on the Knicks on Dec. 19 is considered one of those must-see contests:

The Sixers hope to stay healthy this season, but it could be a slow start, as Paul George underwent knee surgery this summer. He’s expected to be reevaluated before training camp, so we’ll see if he actually misses any regular-season games. If the Sixers are fully healthy, they’ll be a solid threat to the likes of the Knicks and Cavaliers near the top of the East. The Knicks can match up against a healthy Joel Embiid and a Sixers team that has the depth. And don’t forget the Knicks made the Eastern Conference finals a season ago. It will be a good litmus test for Philadelphia to see where this team is at early in the season and gauge where they may fall in the pecking order of the East.

Health will be the operative word with the Sixers. If Embiid, George, and Maxey are ready to go, then they will have just as good a chance as anybody to conquer the East in the upcoming season. If not? It could be another tough season as the role players get put into tough situations and are asked to do more than they should.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers vs. Knicks matchup mentioned as a must see matchup in 2025-26