The Philadelphia 76ers’ big-man curse has struck early. A LeBron James-less Philly team hosted reigning champions, the New York Knicks, in a preseason exhibition Monday night, but the game took a turn for the worse in the opening frame itself. The newly acquired center, supposed to be a direct backup to the also-absent Joel Embiid, went down with what appears to be a lower-leg injury.
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Starting at five in place of Embiid, Ariel Hukporti pulled up awkwardly on a (non-contact) defensive play. Hukporti attempted to block a potential play over his head on the perimeter, then landed, suddenly hobbled, and collapsed in pain.
Hukporti was clutching his right foot and lower calf. An immediate, worrying sense of silence spread across the arena. Jaylen Brown, who later offered kind words for the big man, was among the first to check on Hukporti. Remarkably, opposing Knicks players also rushed to him. Karl-Anthony Towns and a Knicks staffer ultimately helped him off the hardwood.
It was clear the Knicks hadn’t forgotten their former player, who was crowned a champion as recently as June. However, as was visible on the broadcast, Hukporti couldn’t put weight on his right leg as he was ushered down the tunnel toward the locker room for further evaluation. He played only five minutes and tallied a single assist.
Analyzing the sequence, even one of the announcers admitted, “He just inadvertently slips.”
Jabari Walker replaced Hukporti on the court for most of the game and finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. After the game, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse revealed that the medical team would perform imaging on Hukporti’s right Achilles tomorrow.
“I just saw him for a little bit during the game, gave him a big hug,” Nurse said of Hukporti. “He’s been a joy to coach in the short time he’s been here. Really a good dude. So, we’ll just hope for the best.”
Even Brown praised the 24-year-old’s character, saying he’s been a “joy” to have around the locker room and that “it sucks to see a guy like that go down.”
Hukporti’s non-contact tumble leaves the Sixers’ already-thinned frontcourt rotation in a precarious position. His route to more game time had widened during the first week of training camp due to a wave of frontcourt setbacks. Third-year big man Adem Bona, expected to compete for rotational minutes, was sidelined with a foot injury. Meanwhile, veteran 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, who signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract, suffered a left hip sprain that’ll keep him out for multiple weeks.
With Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and LeBron James also sitting out Monday’s exhibition to rest, Nurse deployed a starting unit featuring Hukporti alongside VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Dean Wade.
Although Bona is expected to return at a later point during the preseason, the current situation leaves Nurse with no one to directly occupy the center spot. Jabari Walker, Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow can fill in for the time being.
The 76ers had signed Hukporti to a one-year, $3.4 million contract in free agency after the Knicks declined to issue him a qualifying offer. He came off the championship season, averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 54 regular-season games as a backup to Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
If Hukporti has suffered an Achilles tear, the 76ers will struggle to replace him, even if the NBA grants them a disabled-player exception. ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks revealed that Philly is $1.8 million below the first apron and would need to waive or trade Jabari Walker (whose salary is only $250,000 guaranteed).
In reality, the 76ers might actually consider finding a proper replacement because their primary big man, Embiid, has missed 150 games over the last three years.
ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel expressed concern immediately after Hukporti went down. He said that drop-step non-contact injuries are “more time than not” Achilles injuries.
Meanwhile, VJ Edgecombe is already fearing the worst if his teammate’s preseason setback turns out to be a campaign-ending one.
“I’m just praying,” Edgecombe said. “Obviously, injuries can play a big part in mental health, and that’s the most important thing. Him just making sure he’s happy and in a peaceful place with his spirit and his body, so I just hope all the best, man. It’s sad to see, especially first game of the year. I hope he’ll be well.”
The 76ers play the Brooklyn Nets on the road Thursday. Their regular-season opener against yesterday’s opponent (the Knicks) is two weeks away, on October 20.
For a franchise already managing the health of its frontcourt centerpiece, Joel Embiid, losing its primary backup in the opening quarter of a preseason game creates an unexpected and immediate roster challenge for the front office.