It's the hope that kills you, but the Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of reasons to feel good about their outlook for next season. Everything that could've possibly gone wrong for them in 2024-25 did. At this point, fans are numb to the pain and accustomed to the misery, no matter how well-positioned the team may seem.
But what if we told you it doesn't always have to be so doom and gloom in Philadelphia? What if brighter days are ahead? We're talking as soon as the immediate future, not far down the road.
Assuming better health, which is never guaranteed, especially for a squad that has Joel Embiid, there's no reason the 76ers can't be competitive in 2025-26. Between that, the current state of the Eastern Conference and the imminent addition of whoever they select with the No. 3 overall pick, why not?
Unseeing the tragic play known as the 2024-25 76ers that everyone saw won't be easy. Nonetheless, let's turn this somber tale into a prequel of a hero's journey with a happy ending in seven acts.
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An optimistic outlook on the 2025-26 76ers in seven acts
Act 1: Summer League
Whether it's V.J. Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Ace Bailey or someone else, a highly touted prospect is set to lead the Sixers in Las Vegas. A promising young player headlines their NBA 2K26 Summer League team, presumably alongside wings Ricky Council IV and Justin Edwards. 2024 second-round pick Adem Bona will roam the paint as an explosive, high-energy rim-protecting/running big man.
Maybe Philly messes around and wins the whole damn thing? Their incoming rookie shows up and shows out at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion. The 76ers' strong Summer League showing is the butterfly effect for what's to come.
Act 2: Media day
Two-plus months pass, but vibes are high heading into media day. Embiid is in the building, happy, rejuvenated and most importantly, physically ready to perform. The Big Fella is in shape, ready to load manage through a perpetually lingering knee issue that limited him to 19 games in 2024-25.
Quentin Grimes is back with the 76ers after extension talks went smoothly, and both parties are excited about their continued partnership. He had no shortage of suitors following his trade to Philly and subsequent breakout. However, the budding 3-and-D with benefits felt that staying put was the best move to build on the momentum.
Philly's prized acquisition last offseason, Paul George, missed half the year and battled through knee, quad and adductor issues the other half. He's there and prepared to silence the critics and live up to the expectations that came with his maximum four-year, $212 million contract. His podcast is officially put on hold until the summer, focusing solely on basketball.
Star point guard Tyrese Maxey's season-ending finger tendon injury is a thing of the past. He's eager to bounce back from a down shooting year and get cleaner looks alongside George and Embiid.
Maxey's burgeoning backcourt mate, Jared McCain, has recovered from the sore-knee-turned-torn-meniscus that cut his stellar rookie season short. The lone bright spot in what was an utterly dark time for the Sixers talks about doing what he can to elevate Embiid.
Key veterans Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon exercise their player options and say that the possibility of doing something special made it easy. Fan favorite and critical bench piece/fill-in starter Guerschon Yabusele is elated that he and the Sixers came to an agreement despite a robust market. Philly opted into the reserve trio Lonnie Walker IV, Justin Edwards and Jared Butler, who partake in some silly trends for the social media team.
Act 3: Opening night
Everybody got through training camp in one piece. Maxey, McCain, Grimes, George and Embiid round out the starting five. Yabu, Oubre and the 2025 third overall pick lead the second unit. Head coach Nick Nurse is already animated about something, despite having his full toolkit.
Win or lose, the 76ers get through the contest with no problems. They look like a cohesive unit in which the group makes sense from a fit perspective, regardless of the outcome. The combination of ball-handling, shot creation, floor spacing and interior presence is apparent.
Act 4: Christmas
The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic sit atop the East, but the 76ers aren't far behind. Maxey returning to form and McCain/Grimes taking another step forward keep them within striking distance, even with regularly scheduled off days for Embiid and George. Philly is set to partake in the Association's Christmas Day festivities, as they usually are, but they're as jolly as ever for this one.
Embiid and Co. are in the next tier of clubs that make up the fourth-sixth seeds in the East. The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers find a way to be in the mix without their superstars, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered torn Achilles tendons last postseason.
Act 5: Trade deadline
Holding serve since Xmas, the 76ers don't abide by Embiid's timeline anymore, though they make moves around the margins. Philadelphia has all of its own first-round picks and control of two Los Angeles Clippers first-rounders (2028 and a top-three protected 2029 swap).
Whatever the Sixers do, it's an under-the-radar, albeit impactful transaction. Perhaps a backup center upgrade they can trust in the playoffs to spell Embiid? Or a secondary playmaker that can come off the bench and run the offense?
Act 6: All-Star break
Maxey represents the 76ers in the 75th All-Star Game at the Clippers' Intuit Dome in L.A. Grimes accepts an invitation to the 3-Point Contest. McCain parlays his role as an NBA Finals media day correspondent into a similar role for the exciting weekend. Meanwhile, Embiid and George are using this valuable time to stay off their feet and lock in for the home stretch.
Act 7: Playoffs
From here, the Sixers write their own story upon securing a top-six seed and avoiding the Play-In. Whether Embiid can get through a physically taxing playoff run on top of the 50-60 regular-season games he appeared in remains to be seen. George is healthy, but he has to fight the inner and outer demons of his well-chronicled postseason shortcomings.
Yet, the Sixers managed to dodge the Cavs, Knicks and Celtics in Round 1, giving them a legitimate chance to advance. Once you enter the NBA's elite eight, anything is possible, as the Pacers just taught everyone from their improbably awesome Finals run last year.