Ariel Hukporti Suffers Season-Ending Achilles Tear

The team, confirming that Hukporti suffered a torn Achilles during Monday’s preseason opener, has announced that he’ll undergo surgery later today, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The injury occurred less than five minutes into Monday’s game. As Hukporti guarded former Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and defended against an interior pass, he fell to the floor and immediately grabbed the back of his lower right leg (video link via NBA.com). The 24-year-old exited the game, with head coach Nick Nurse telling reporters after the victory that Hukporti would undergo imaging on his right Achilles. The results of that MRI have confirmed the worst-case scenario for the third-year center and his new club.

The 58th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Hukporti spent two seasons with the Knicks and was the third center behind Towns and Mitchell Robinson on last year’s championship roster. He made 79 total regular season appearances for New York, contributing 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game.

The 76ers used their bi-annual exception this summer to sign Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4MM contract and expected him to vie with Adem Bona for backup center minutes behind Joel Embiid. However, the team will need to look elsewhere for depth at the five in the wake of Hukporti’s injury.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, as we outlined earlier today, they’re operating just $1.83MM away from their hard cap at the first tax apron, which will prevent them from filling the 15th spot on their projected regular season roster unless they make a cost-cutting move. A veteran’s minimum contract would carry a cap hit of roughly $2.45MM.

Making a trade would be one way to generate some cap flexibility. Waiving Jabari Walker would be another, as the forward’s minimum-salary contract is only partially guaranteed for $250K. But Walker could be among the in-house solutions at the five for Nurse, who figures to experiment with Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, and Walker as small-ball centers.

If the 76ers don’t open up the room necessary to sign a free agent, they’ll have to wait until at least December 4 to add a 15th man. By that point, a prorated veteran’s minimum contract would carry a cap charge of about $1.82MM, fitting in below the first apron.

Philadelphia also currently has a two-way slot open alongside Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert, so it would make sense to fill that opening with a center. Camp invitee Tacko Fall, who is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, is one potential two-way candidate, though he strained his left hip last week and may not be available at all during the preseason.

The Sixers will be able to apply for a disabled player exception for Hukporti and figure to be awarded that DPE. But it will be worth just $1.7MM, half of Hukporti’s salary, so it won’t do the team much good at this point. It’s possible it would come in handy later in the season if the club wants to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract worth more than the prorated minimum.