What happened: Joel Embiid said building a contender in one year is difficult and that Philadelphia's championship push will require buy-in across the roster. He made the remarks in an interview with Malika Andrews centered on the 76ers' title hopes and the offseason.

Why it matters: The comments land after a summer that brought LeBron James to Philadelphia and sent Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, raising expectations for the 2026-27 campaign. That timeline matters as Embiid shed weight ahead of 76ers camp and the club tries to turn a new core into a contender quickly.

What to watch: Camp practices and preseason minutes will offer the first read on how roles settle around Embiid. Philadelphia opens the regular season Oct. 20 against the Knicks.