By Adam Aaronson

Copyright phillyvoice

In a matter of hours, the Sixers will host their 2025 Media Day in Camden, the official mark of a new season. After a nightmarish 24-58 campaign riddled with injuries, controversy and disappointment, everyone involved is ready to turn the page. Nobody would deny that the entire group feels a sense of antsiness.

“Obviously, a lot,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey acknowledged on Saturday. “I mean, it was the toughest year for my career as well, and we’re really hoping to show everybody what we can do this year.”

Morey, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse and the entirety of the team’s roster will take to the podium on Friday to answer questions from the media before the team begins its official practice schedule on Saturday.

Over the last few weeks, we have been previewing the upcoming season with specific focuses on each member of the team’s standard roster, from max players Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese to rookies VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome and everyone in between. If you missed any of our preview stories, there is no better time to get back up to speed:

Current cornerstones

• As always, this entire operation is going to revolve around Joel Embiid, his brilliance and his warts. How will Embiid respond to the most disappointing season of his NBA career? After playing in only 19 games in 2024-25, how can the Sixers keep Embiid on the floor and impactful at the same time?

• He will need plenty of help, namely from nine-time All-Star Paul George, whose first season in Philadelphia fell well short of expectations in all respects. George looked like a shell of himself as a scorer and battled injuries from the preseason until the end of the year. Does the 35-year-old have the ability to turn the clock back?

• Perhaps the most stable aspect of the Sixers organization over the last few years has been Tyrese Maxey, and even he took a step back last year — the first time that has happened in his NBA career. What is in store for Maxey in his sixth professional campaign?

Next cornerstones

• Just when everyone was excited to hear from Jared McCain, horrible news broke: McCain suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb on Thursday. Whether or not McCain will still attend Media Day is unclear, as is his method of recovery. Whenever he does get on the court, McCain’s dynamic shooting and scoring will uplift this team on the offensive end of the floor.

• Joining McCain as a new long-term pillar of the organization is No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe, the prize of the Sixers’ multi-month tanking efforts last season. Edgecombe has all of the intensity and competitiveness to be adored in Philadelphia, but how will his skills on the court translate to the NBA?

Youth movement continues

• Embiid’s lack of consistent availability underscores the importance of his backups, and in 2025-26, Adem Bona looks to be second on the center depth chart. Bona showed tremendous flashes of promise in his rookie season, outperforming the expectations of a second-round pick and making significant strides as the year went on. But is he ready for a completely different level of responsibility?

• Rounding out last year’s strong rookie class was hometown kid Justin Edwards, whose stunning fall from elite high-school recruit to undrafted two-way signee did not stop him. Edwards earned a conversion to a standard contract with the Sixers and then inked a new three-year deal over the summer. How far can Edwards get with his tremendous feel for the game?

• The Sixers have often favored young and athletic prospects, but at No. 35 overall last June they selected Auburn big Johni Broome, who is neither of those things relative to his draft classmates. The Sixers believe Broome will find a way to impact winning at the NBA level, just as he did in spades in college. But how will that actually look, and what position will it come at?

• The team’s lone external addition in free agency as far as the standard roster is concerned: Trendon Watford, a 24-year-old point forward whose close friendship with Maxey helped seal the deal. The Sixers have a clear hole at power forward, and Watford might be their best bet at filling it sufficiently.

Still unsigned

• Yes, the Sixers still do not have a deal with 25-year-old restricted free agent Quentin Grimes. Will they reach an agreement in the next week, before Grimes has to make a decision on his $8.7 million qualifying offer by Oct. 1? If Grimes does return, what will his role be? How much of his breakout as a dynamic three-level scorer last season was the product of a tanking environment, and how much of it is sustainable for Grimes moving forward?

MORE SIXERSUnpacking the results of PhillyVoice’s 2025-26 Sixers survey, part 1Unpacking the results of PhillyVoice’s 2025-26 Sixers survey, part 2Making sense of the latest Quentin Grimes rumors as Sixers Media Day nears

Veteran role players

• While many people were understandably tuning out the Sixers, veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. made some noticeable changes to his style. Those alterations led to improved efficiency and decision-maker. Oubre picked up his $8.3 million player option to return to Philadelphia, and despite some trade rumors is still a member of the Sixers. Will the third time be the charm for Oubre in Philadelphia?

• The first time Andre Drummond joined the Sixers, he was stellar for a half-season. He returned on a two-year, $10 million deal last summer hoping to stabilize the backup center spot behind Embiid. He failed to do that at all; Drummond’s limited mobility was constantly exploited by opposing offenses and a toe injury derailed his chances of proving he is still a strong backup center in the NBA. But on the Sixers, even a third-string center is important. Is Drummond fit for the job?

• Can the Sixers rely on Eric Gordon as he nears his 37th birthday? He has a long track record of knocking down deep three-point tries, but his ability to help the Sixers as a rotation-caliber player in other respects is questionable at this juncture. Perhaps Gordon’s presence on the roster just became more important with McCain’s injury.

• Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry will turn 40 years old on March 25. He has already inked a media deal; Lowry’s 20th NBA season will also include television work for Prime Video. Lowry is a beloved teammate and his impact on several key young Sixers has been obvious. But does he have a chance of directly impacting winning on the court after missing much of last season?