Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall miss the Sixers’ last practice before the Knicks opener

Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall all sat out the Philadelphia 76ers‘ practice on Monday, October 19, coach Nick Nurse said, putting all three in doubt for Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Knicks.

It was the second day in a row that the trio missed team work, and Monday was the Sixers’ final session before they travel to Madison Square Garden. With Ariel Hukporti already lost for the season, Philadelphia could open the year with very little size behind Joel Embiid.

Dean Wade did not practice today. Neither did Dominick Barlow or Tacko Fall. #Sixers

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) October 19, 2026

Where each player stands

Wade is the closest of the three to playing. He did some individual work on Monday but stayed out of the team portions, according to Philadelphia reporter Paul Hudrick. The forward rolled his left ankle before halftime against the Boston Celtics on Friday, a 125-120 overtime preseason loss, and never came back. Nurse called it “not a major concern” that night, but Wade has now gone three days without a full practice.

Barlow looks less likely. Back soreness has bothered him since the start of training camp, and he did not play in any of Philadelphia’s preseason games. Fall, who moved from a camp contract to a two-way spot before the cutdown, is dealing with a strained left hip.

No timeline has been given for any of them. The first official injury report for the game should make clear whether any of the three are listed as questionable or ruled out.

What it means for the rotation

The starting group of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is untouched, but the frontcourt bench is not. If Wade and Barlow cannot go, Jabari Walker is in line for the backup center minutes. He spent much of camp at the five and scored 13 points in 19 minutes in the finale. Nurse sees him mainly as a big man who can pick and pop, which would spread the floor around Maxey and Brown but give up size on the glass.

Adem Bona, who took a full part in Sunday’s practice after a foot problem, is the other true center available. Justin Edwards could also get minutes as a bigger wing, as he did with 25 minutes against Boston.

Rebounding is the worry. The Celtics outrebounded Philadelphia 63-46 in that last tune-up, and the Knicks’ frontcourt will test a thin rotation on banner night.

What comes next

The 76ers open the 2026-27 regular season at the Knicks on Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Follow the game in the Game Center, and check every team’s latest status on the injuries page.