Embiid Looks Healthy in Sixers' First Look at the LeBron-Brown Era
Philadelphia's revamped starters debuted at a half-speed scrimmage, but Embiid's movement and a sneaky Hukporti line are the fantasy stories worth tracking.
Embiid's capped minutes could hand him real run behind an injured Bona.
- Embiid projected to play no more than 60 games
- Bona: 14.7 FPTS/G in 71 games (2025-26)
- Hukporti: +6.7 FPTS last 5 vs his average
- Edgecombe entering year 2, 'no fear' per Gansey
- Brown poured in 12 in one 2nd-quarter stretch
Saturday gave us the first real sighting of the retooled Sixers — LeBron James and Jaylen Brown sharing a floor with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. It was a three-quarters-speed scrimmage in a two-thirds-full arena with the regular season still more than two weeks out, so temper the hype. James called it a solid first step and nothing more.
The headline for fantasy managers is Embiid's body. He moved freely, dunked off an Edgecombe feed, buried a three, and later threw down a left-handed slam right after Ariel Hukporti swatted him. James, a teammate at the 2024 Olympics, said Embiid looks far healthier now and hasn't missed a practice or a drill. Embiid even cracked that the lefty jam might be the last dunk of his career — the frame of mind sounds as good as the knees.
The starters opened in a five-out look that should free Maxey and Edgecombe to slash, give Brown and Embiid their mid-range real estate, and let James orchestrate. There was movement, back cuts, handoffs. Brown flashed his scoring in a second-quarter burst, rattling off 12 quick points alongside the backups. Everyone, it seems, will get fed.
Edgecombe Takes the Leap
The most intriguing thread is Edgecombe. Now in year two, he's playing with the training wheels off — one possession he beat Embiid off the dribble and switched hands midair for an and-one, then tried to dunk on him moments later. Gansey praised his fearlessness; James called him cerebral and always hunting improvement. If the usage is there, he's the Sixer most likely to outrun his draft-day price.
The Center Math Matters
Gansey wouldn't commit to an Embiid games target, only that they'll stick to the plan — read that as no more than 60 appearances. That's a green light for backup bigs. Adem Bona (14.7 fantasy pts/game across 71 games last season, 2025-26) is the obvious beneficiary, but he's currently sidelined with a sprained foot. In the meantime Hukporti stood out: three short jumpers, slick backdoor dimes, plus his block on Embiid and a stop on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The fantasy read: Embiid's health makes him a confident draft target again, but build in the load-management discount. The real sleeper value is behind him. Hukporti is riding a hot stretch (+6.7 fantasy pts over his last five versus his 2025-26 average of 7.9 per game) and with Bona hurt, he's worth stashing in deep leagues as a watch. Edgecombe deserves your attention as a buy-ahead-of-the-curve dart throw. Don't overreact to a half-speed scrimmage — but note who's trending.
