October 06, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Not even five minutes into his Sixers preseason debut, Ariel Hukporti suffered an Achilles injury.
Sixers reserve center Ariel Hukporti has officially been diagnosed with a season-ending ruptured Achilles, as was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The Sixers said in a medical update that Hukporti will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
Hukporti, 24, signed a one-year, $3.4 million contract to join the Sixers this summer as part of the team's solution at backup center. Only a week into team activities, Hukporti's rim protection, size, speed and off-court personality had all endeared him to his new teammates. And not even five minutes into his preseason debut on Monday, right in front of his former teammates with the New York Knicks, Hukporti went down grabbing his Achilles.
"Gave him a big hug," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. "He's been a joy to coach in the short time he's been here. Really a good dude. So, we'll just hope for the best."
The Sixers cannot replace Hukporti on their roster as of now; NBA players with season-ending injuries cannot be placed on any sort of injured reserve list. They have 14 players on their standard roster, but they do not have enough room below their first-apron hard cap to fill their 15th spot. The only way the Sixers can immediately gain enough financial maneuverability to sign another center would be waiving Jabari Walker, their best reserve on Monday and a potential part of the solution to Hukporti's absence.
The Sixers may target a traditional center with their vacant two-way contract spot to add more depth at the position. Adem Bona has missed practices to date with a foot sprain that Nurse said would not keep him out for the entire preseason; as he enters his third season, Bona now faces heightened pressure. The Sixers cannot afford for his development to buffer. Walker and Dominick Barlow, meanwhile, are the Sixers' primary small-ball options at the five.
