Philadelphia is set to put its new five-man look on the floor Thursday, with LeBron James expected to make his first preseason appearance in a 76ers uniform against the Brooklyn Nets.
Nick Nurse plans to use James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe as his starters, with the group expected to see the first half if everyone comes through the lead-in to tip-off without an issue. It will be the first live preseason look at the lineup Philadelphia assembled to push into the championship picture.
How Philadelphia reached Thursday’s unveiling
- The Sixers opened preseason against the New York Knicks without James, Embiid or Maxey. All three were held out as healthy scratches.
- Brown nevertheless gave Philadelphia an immediate glimpse of his scoring fit, posting 22 points in 17 minutes during Monday’s 120-97 win over the defending champions.
- Edgecombe paired 12 points with seven assists across 20 minutes in that opener, continuing to show the playmaking that earned him a place on the 2026 Kia All-Rookie First Team.
- Nurse said afterward that he hoped to get his regular starters on the court for first-half work against Brooklyn, provided there were no setbacks before Thursday.
A rebuilt first unit
James arrived in Philadelphia through free agency, while Brown joined the club in an offseason trade with the Boston Celtics. They step into a group already built around Embiid, the former Kia MVP, and Maxey, a two-time All-Star.
The expected starter group gives Nurse size, perimeter scoring and multiple primary ballhandlers. Brown’s brief debut offered the first production from the reshaped rotation, but Thursday’s Nets game is positioned as the first chance to see how James, Embiid and Maxey fit beside him and Edgecombe in game action.
