Ariel Hukporti was not the biggest addition the Philadelphia 76ers made in a transformative offseason, but the former Knicks center was brought in to provide some much-needed center depth behind the oft-injured Joel Embiid. Hukporti saw just 9.2 minutes per game as a reserve for the champion Knicks, but was in line for a much bigger role in Philadelphia. But that changed on Monday night when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the 76ers' preseason opener.
Hukporti will have surgery later Tuesday, the team said, ending his season before it even began. It's a brutal turn of events for Hukporti, who signed a one-year, $3.4 million deal with Philadelphia with the idea that he would be able to further cement himself as a quality NBA rotation player after a solid sophomore season in New York. Given how the Sixers manage Embiid's minutes load and health with an eye on the playoffs, Hukporti figured to see a significant uptick in playing time in Philly compared to his role with the Knicks.
Now he will spend the season recovering and rehabbing from an Achilles injury, creating a major question mark for a team with championship aspirations after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the offseason. From a team perspective, it's also a significant blow for the 76ers that will be difficult to navigate financially. The Sixers are hard-capped at the first apron after trading for Brown, and while they could apply for a disabled player exception to open up a roster spot for a Hukporti replacement, it does not allow them to go over the first apron.
The Sixers are currently $1.8 million below the first apron, which isn't enough for even a minimum contract, which ranges from just over $2.1 million for a player with one year of experience to $3.8 million for a veteran with 10-plus years of experience. That means to acquire a center -- which they almost assuredly have to do this year, given the need to manage Embiid's health -- the Sixers will either need to make a roster move to clear space or wait until a pro-rated minimum contract is less than $1.8 million. The latter option seems risky as they won't want to be forced to lean on Embiid too heavily early in the season, even with all the commentary coming out of training camp about his trimmer physique with an eye on playing more.
Adem Bona is the only other true center on the roster, and while he gave them a quality season in 2025-26, averaging 17.4 minutes per game in 71 appearances and 18 starts, needing to lean on Bona for big minutes is not ideal for a team with championship aspirations. The best option to clear space is to waive Jabari Walker, whose contract is only guaranteed for $250,000 until January 10, per Spotrac. That would give them enough money to sign any level of veteran minimum deal, but the options there are still limited.
Beyond the financial challenge, the free agent center pool at this point has largely dried up. The Sixers could pursue a veteran like Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk or Bismack Biyombo, all of whom spent last year as reserves depth behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in San Antonio and are available. They could also pursue Kevin Love, Chris Boucher, Maxi Kleber or even old friend Dario Saric as a small-ball five option.
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