Ariel Hukporti went down with a torn Achilles only five minutes into the Sixers’ preseason opener, and that’s a massive blow to their already thin backup center depth behind Joel Embiid. This isn’t just a bump in the road, it’s a full-on roadblock for a team that’s trying to win *now*.
The Bittersweet Start: What Went Right and What Went Oh-So-Wrong
Man, that preseason opener was a wild ride, a total glass-half-full, glass-half-empty situation. On the bright side, Jaylen Brown was absolutely cooking, dropping 22 points in just 15 minutes. That’s efficiency, baby! VJ Edgecombe might not have hit a ton from deep, but he still put up a super solid 12 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in only 20 minutes. And Jabari Walker, off the bench, showed up big with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes. Those are some real bright spots to build on. But then, the gut punch. The depth at backup center, which was already looking flimsy with Adem Bona nursing a foot injury, just got wrecked when Hukporti went down.
The Money Problem: How An Achilles Tear Became a Cap Nightmare
Losing Hukporti isn’t just about losing a player, it’s a financial headache, too. The Sixers actually spent part of their bi-annual exception to sign him to a one-year, $3.4 million contract this offseason. Now he’s gone, and replacing him isn’t easy. They still have one open standard roster spot, sure, but they’re hard-capped at the $209.0 million first apron. Right now, they’re only $1.8 million below that line. You know what that means? They don’t have enough room under that apron to sign a veteran-minimum contract for anyone with even a single year of NBA experience. If they want to sign someone *now*, it literally has to be an undrafted rookie free agent. That’s not the kind of move you want when you’re a “win-now” squad, right?
Scouting Overtime: Finding a Solution Before Opening Night
So, what are the Sixers going to do? They could wait for minimum contracts to start prorating downward once the regular season kicks off on December 3. That would give them more cap room. Or, they might even want to keep that spot open until the trade deadline for some serious in-season flexibility. But if they go that route, they need to figure out alternate ways to replace Hukporti for the interim. The easiest move would be a two-way contract, and they still have one open two-way spot. They even have 7’6″ center Tacko Fall in training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal, which could lead to that. The only problem? Fall is dealing with a hip strain and won’t even be reevaluated until mid-October, so he might not be ready for opening night either! It’s crunch time. The Sixers’ pro scouting department needs to be on an absolute mission these next few weeks, digging through players waived by other teams, because they desperately need to fill that open two-way spot and get some help at center before the season starts.
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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