Ariel Hukporti’s season is GONE. Just like that, in the opening minutes of the Sixers’ preseason opener against the Knicks, the man went down with a torn Achilles in his right leg, sidelining him for the entire 2026-27 season. Surgery is on the books for “later today,” which is about as fast as anyone could hope for after news this brutal.
Deja Vu Nightmare For Hukporti
It didn’t look good when Hukporti went down on October 5, and the worst fears are now confirmed. The 24-year-old German center was starting for a resting Joel Embiid, and he was actually looking pretty sharp against his former team, the New York Knicks. He was guarding Karl-Anthony Towns when he collapsed, with no contact involved. It was one of those awful moments where you could tell immediately from his reaction that it was serious, grabbing his right leg. This is an absolutely gut-wrenching blow for Hukporti, who has already faced this exact nightmare before. Back in the 2022 preseason, he ruptured his *left* Achilles while playing overseas for Melbourne United in Australia. The guy just can’t catch a break with these injuries. He was drafted by the Knicks in the second round in 2024 and spent his first two seasons there as their third-string center. Coming to the Sixers in free agency this offseason, he was ready to compete for the primary backup five spot with Adem Bona, who’s currently sidelined with a foot sprain. Hukporti was absolutely taking advantage of the opportunity to show what he could do, and now he’ll spend the entire season rehabbing instead.
Sixers’ Backup Center Woes Are Back, And The Front Office Has Its Hands Tied
This Hukporti injury puts the Sixers in a seriously tough spot. Backup center is like, an *evergreen* position of need for this team, especially with Embiid’s injury history. Now, with Hukporti out for the count, Adem Bona is the *only* true center on the roster. Yeah, guys like Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow can step in for a small-ball five look, but that’s not exactly ideal for the long haul. Even Exhibit 10 signee Tacko Fall is out with a hip strain, and it’s not even clear if he’ll be back in time to earn one of those crucial two-way spots. And here’s the kicker: the Sixers’ hands are kinda tied. That final two-way spot is pretty much all they have available right now to make an addition. Because they went ahead and accessed the full non-taxpayer MLE, they’re hard-capped at the first apron. They might have an open roster spot, but they just don’t have enough space under that first apron to make a minimum signing until December. This is a real, immediate test for Mike Gansey’s front office, especially after what was hyped as a “sensational offseason.” They’ve got to find a way to patch this up, even if they’re stuck waiting until December to make a move.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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