It's obviously too early for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks to make any calls on playing statuses for their highly anticipated season opener in late October, but Jalen Brunson sounds like a guy who plans to play.
After a remarkable run in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, which offered bulletin board material for the Sixers, Jalen Brunson went into the offseason with plans to pay the operating room a visit. The star guard needed surgery for a setback that he suffered during the run.
Does Jalen Brunson's recovery threaten his night one status?
In July, Brunson underwent surgery for a left wrist tendon injury. He shouldn't be rushing back to the floor for the Knicks, as they have a long season ahead of them, getting every Eastern Conference team's best shot.
A recent sit-down between Brunson and the New York Post featured pictures of the star guard still sporting a brace. He admitted that he's remaining patient as he finds ways to remain active before training camp.
As for training camp, the NY Post report states that the recovery timeline for Brunson was set for six to eight weeks. Without setbacks, he "should be ready to go" in late September when training camp begins for the Knicks.
As if that's not enough, Brunson told the Today Show that "we'll be ready" when discussing the Knicks-76ers matchup, which was announced as one of the league's season openers this year.
“Fireworks for sure," Brunson said of the upcoming matchup, which takes place on October 20. "I mean they’re going to be electric, they’re going to be definitely a team to keep your eye on. They reloaded this year. It’s going to be a tough test, but we'll be ready.”
This isn't last year's Sixers
The Knicks didn't need to do a roster overhaul over the summer. After winning the NBA Championship, running it back as much as they can is the best bet.
The same couldn't be said for the Sixers, who broke a playoff drought with the Boston Celtics before getting booted by the Knicks in sweeping fashion. The core guys (Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe) weren't going anywhere. Paul George was sent in a package to the Boston Celtics in exchange for the star forward Jaylen Brown.
That trade gave LeBron James the signal to seriously consider the Sixers as his next and final (?) landing spot during his legendary career. As Brunson said, the offseason was fireworks for the Sixers. As long as both teams are at full health in October, the NBA will surely see fireworks on Opening Night.
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