76ers' Ariel Hukporti suffers brutal injury in preseason game vs. Knicks

Just nearly five minutes into his debut with his new team, former New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti had to be carried off the floor with a non-contact injury. This development absolutely stings for the 76ers, but it will also surely get his former ball club thinking.

Hukporti, after all, just won a championship with the Knicks last season. He was a solid third-string big man for a couple of years in New York, but now, his chance for a bigger role may already be gone before he can even put up an actual audition. The third-year center was supposed to compete to be Joel Embiid's primary backup, but now, that is already looking like an extremely unlikely proposition.

Former Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti faces brutal start to his post-New York career

There has not been any official update yet from the 76ers, but it is looking like Hukporti injured his Achilles. If that indeed ends up being the case, his entire season in Philly will be in jeopardy.

The 58th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Hukporti did not see the floor much for the Knicks in his first season. That remained largely the same in his sophomore year, but he was dependable enough to play spot minutes for New York when either Karl-Anthony Towns or Mitchell Robinson was sidelined or in foul trouble.

After winning the title with the Knicks, Hukporti got picked up by the 76ers to shore up their depth at center and cushion behind Joel Embiid. He even got the start in their first preseason game, which makes it more brutal to see him get bit by the injury bug early.

Knicks fans liked the energy the young center brought whenever he was deployed, and with him being a part of their historic title team, there will surely be fond memories of Hukporti in the Big Apple. As such, this connection to the franchise makes this injury painful to watch for the fanbase.