The 76ers will take the floor with slightly higher stakes on the line than most regular-season games on Friday, as the NBA Cup officially begins. With only a handful of contests for this new-look lineup to grow more comfortable, all eyes will be on Philadelphia's title-crafted roster in one of the event's toughest groups.

Below, we'll outline all the info you need and make sure to check back for relevant updates throughout the NBA Cup.

76ers 2026 NBA Cup group, opponents and bracket

The 76ers are in East Group B for the 2026 NBA Cup, with there also being Groups A and C within the conference. They won't have it entirely easy with the Cavaliers, Knicks, Heat, and Pacers also being members of Group B. Philadelphia will play each of those teams once, with two at home and two on the road, between Oct. 30 and Nov. 27.

The winner of East Group B (based on the best record from group play) gets an automatic spot in the quarterfinals. Each conference also has a "wild card" entry to the quarterfinals, which will be determined from the three second-place group finishers, with the top record advancing outright or tiebreakers like point differential.

Here is an example of the NBA Cup bracket. The quarterfinals are composed of the top four teams from each conference, based on group play, seeded 1-4.

The quarterfinals of the 2026 NBA Cup are Dec. 4-5, with the semifinals being Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9. The NBA Cup Championship is Dec. 11 and will take place at the neutral site of Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

If the 76ers don't advance to the playoffs of the NBA Cup, two of their regular-season games between Dec. 9 and15 will count as part of the event but will not impact the NBA Cup itself.

76ers 2026 NBA Cup schedule and results tracker

The 76ers host the Knicks on Oct. 30 (Prime Video) in their first 2026 NBA Cup group play game. This matchup is followed by a road game against the Cavaliers (Prime Video) on Nov. 6, then hosting the Heat (ESPN) on Nov. 25, and going on the road to face the Pacers on Nov. 27.

76ers NBA Cup history, past records

The 76ers have an all-time NBA Cup record of just 5-7 during the group stage. They've failed to make the quarterfinals in each of the first three NBA Cup events, so they've never had a chance to win the title.

76ers 2026 NBA Cup storylines to watch

Given that this Sixers team has championship aspirations, the NBA Cup is a fantastic stage for this new-look starting lineup to build some chemistry in higher-stakes situations, with the regular playoffs many months away yet.

There's been a few early bumps in the road for Philly that it'll need to sort out if it will play next June, with rebounding, center depth, and three-point shooting being some early weaknesses. However, being in a group with several East foes who are all hoping to be part of the postseason is a golden opportunity to work on those issues, given the stars and higher-end talent they'll see over the next month.

The 76ers can't come out flat in these games, as New York and Cleveland are seeking revenge for opening-week losses to Philly. Meanwhile, the 1-4 Heat and 2-3 Pacers will surely relish the chance to notch a win against one of the conference's top teams in the early going.

Philadelphia does look the best out of the teams in this group so far this season, which could pave the way for the franchise to make its first NBA Cup playoffs appearance and possibly make a run to the championship. That'd be a nice show of force by this top threat in the East, even if the event doesn't really mean anything in terms of reaching the Finals.