The Philadelphia 76ers are just over two weeks away from kicking off their 2026-27 NBA season with a road game vs the New York Knicks. Coincidentally, their preseason opener on Monday will also take place vs the Knicks, albeit with a very different lineup than the one that will be hitting the floor on October 20.

“LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Anfernee Simons and Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona are all OUT tonight for the Philadelphia 76ers against the New York Knicks in the Sixers’ preseason opener,” reported Tony Jones of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter.

This would indicate that both Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe will be in uniform for the 76ers against the Knicks in this matchup, although it will still be a disappointment for fans who were hoping to see the 76ers' new “Big Five” fully in action.

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It's not exactly a shock that James is sitting out preseason games at this point in his career, and Philadelphia is likely to be very cautious with his playing time and overall games played throughout the upcoming season, in which he will turn 42 years old.

Meanwhile, Embiid has been a walking injury risk throughout his career, a problem that has somehow only gotten worse over the last few seasons in Philadelphia, while Maxey has also dealt with some injury concerns as he has emerged as a star.

Still, it's expected that all three players, in addition to Brown and Edgecombe, will be ready to go against the Knicks when the regular season gets underway on October 20, before which Philadelphia will have to watch as New York receives its championship rings for the 2026 season.