Charles Barkley isn’t ready to crown a clear favorite in the Eastern Conference — but he’s got his eye on one team that could shake things up.
On “The Rich Eisen Show,” the Hall of Famer tabbed the Philadelphia 76ers as that team, even hinting they could snag the number one seed when the 2025-26 NBA regular season wraps up next spring.
“The Sixers could be the sleeper team in the East. I’m telling you,” said Barkley.
Barkley names his dark horse candidate
The unpredictability of the NBA is what makes every season compelling — and this year, the Eastern Conference, set to start later this month, feels as wide open as ever.
Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers set the pace with a historically strong start, but this time, both heavyweights and dark horses are battling for that same spot at the top. That chaos makes predictions tough, and Barkley, one of the greatest forwards ever, recently nailed the sentiment in his typically funny way.
“There’s not one single person who can come on this show this week and tell you who’s going to win the Eastern Conference. Zero,” Barkley said, adding that not even Einstein-like geniuses or Beethoven-level masterminds could figure it out.
Situations like this often open the door for sleeper teams to rise. Without the weight of expectation, they can play freely, catch contenders off guard and build real momentum. Barkley believes that scenario could fit the 2025-26 Sixers perfectly.
Sixers’ hopes on healthy stars
Of course, Barkley’s take comes with some bias. He spent several seasons with the Sixers from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, becoming one of the franchise’s defining figures — his number 34 jersey was retired in late March 2001.
Still, sentiment aside, Barkley’s argument holds water. On paper, Philadelphia indeed has one of the East’s most complete rosters. The franchise legend made that clear, pointing to a formidable Big Three: former MVP Joel Embiid anchoring the paint, flanked by two All-Star-level players in Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.
Beyond the core, Barkley singled out last season’s rookie standout, Duke product Jared McCain, calling him “a hell of a player” after an impressive debut campaign that had him in the Rookie of the Year conversation before Stephon Castle ultimately claimed the award.
Barkley’s dark horse label also stems from his optimism about this year’s number three overall pick, V. J. Edgecombe. The 6’5″ shooting guard has backed up the hype with sharp Summer League and preseason performances and could become a key contributor for a team aiming to finish near the top of the conference. Whether that happens as soon as next season remains to be seen.
Ultimately, the roster you see before the season starts often looks very different from the one you have once the season is well underway. That’s the point Barkley emphasized, saying his prediction all comes down to two words: barring injuries.
That warning especially applies to Embiid and George, who have long injury histories. The superstar duo appeared in just 60 of 164 possible regular-season games last year, a troubling figure given their salaries and status within the organization. Barkley knows their availability is central to his prediction, but stood firm, stating, “Don’t sleep on my Philadelphia 76ers.”
When a Hall of Famer speaks, the NBA world listens — but even his voice can’t erase doubts. Embiid and George have worn the “unavailable” label for too long, chipping away at trust with every missed game. If that trend continues, the Sixers may have to pivot from chasing the East’s top seed with two injury-prone stars to building the future around Maxey, McCain and Edgecombe.