While the Philadelphia 76ers have their work cut out for them this offseason to improve the roster and conequently, their chances of mounting a successful comeback next season, there is little doubt in the educated mind that this franchise still parades one of the most talented cores in the entire league.
Thanks to Joel Embiid missing all but 19 games this season, both Paul George and Tyrese Maxey getting shelved for significant periods of time due to injury, and Jared McCain suffering a season-ending torn meniscus, the 76ers finished with the fifth-worst record in the NBA, culminating in them landing the third overall pick in this year’s draft.
Even as currently constructed, though, there are already many who expect them to make a strong return next season by virtue of their sheer in-house talent. However, there are just as many naysayers who are doubtful, albeit justifiably so, about their chances at making it far in the postseason — something they have not been able to accomplish even when they turned in a cleaner bill of health.
Having said that, the stars are aligning for the 76ers to pull off a historic shocker in 2025-26.
The 76ers have everything going for them to make a historic comeback next season
In the 2007-08 season, the Boston Celtics saw a massive 42-win improvement from their prior campaign thanks to the entry of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. That huge leap, of course, turned into a championship for the franchise, and still stands as the biggest win improvement from a single season in NBA history.
Now, the 76ers will probably not win at least 67 wins next season — up from 24 this year — to eclipse that mighty record, but they have a good chance of putting forth a similar leap next season.
As can be gleaned from the ongoing 2025 NBA Finals, which will go into a rubber match, the NBA should remain very wide-open next season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which were on a league of their own in this campaign with a 68-14 win-loss card, were forced to a Game 7 by the Indiana Pacers, the fourth seed in the East.
Out in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia no firm impediments to its quest of making a grand return. Indiana, New York, and Cleveland should be back in the running next season, but Boston just lost Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury. Meanwhile, the other teams that made the playoffs are still doubtful challengers for the title at best.
Also, teams will most likely enter the offseason thinking that the title race is as open as it can be, giving them ample room to pull off seismic moves, just like what the Magic did early this summer. The possible onslaught of player movement this offseason could give the 76ers an advantage when it comes to familiarity if their counterparts adopt such a drastic position.
Parity is at an all-time high in the NBA, and given the aleatory nature of the most crucial circumstances in basketball, such as health, people should not foreclose any possibility for the Philadelphia 76ers to make everyone eat their words and actually make a memorable run themselves.