Ariel Hukporti’s torn Achilles upends 76ers’ center depth and Embiid plan

The Philadelphia 76ers’ preseason started with a significant setback as centre Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles tendon in the team’s exhibition opener on Monday. The club said he is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, an outcome that will sideline him for the entire upcoming season.

Hukporti, a former New York Knicks reserve, was brought in to bolster the 76ers’ depth behind Joel Embiid after playing just 9.2 minutes per game for the defending champions. On a one-year deal in Philadelphia, he was expected to see a much larger role and strengthen his case as a regular rotation big. Instead, he now faces a long rehabilitation process as the 76ers enter a pivotal season without the backup centre they had pencilled in.

Title hopes meet sudden hole behind Embiid

The timing is particularly damaging for a franchise that pushed its chips in this summer by adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Managing Embiid’s workload and health has long been central to Philadelphia’s strategy, and Hukporti was projected to absorb meaningful minutes to keep the star centre fresh for the playoffs.

Without him, the depth chart thins quickly. Adem Bona becomes the only true centre behind Embiid. He is coming off a productive 2025-26 campaign in which he averaged 17.4 minutes across 71 games with 18 starts, but asking him to handle a much heavier load is not ideal for a team with championship aspirations.

First-apron hard cap complicates search for a replacement

Cap constraints make the situation even tougher. Because of the Brown trade, the 76ers are hard-capped at the first apron. They could apply for a disabled player exception to free a roster spot for a Hukporti replacement, but that relief does not allow them to cross the apron line.

Philadelphia currently sits only $1.8 million below that threshold, short of a full minimum salary, which ranges from just over $2.1 million for a player with one year of experience to $3.8 million for a 10-year veteran. To bring in a centre — a near necessity given Embiid’s injury history — the 76ers must either clear additional space or wait until a prorated minimum salary falls under the $1.8 million mark.

The most straightforward way to open room would be waiving Jabari Walker, whose deal is guaranteed for just $250,000 until Jan. 10, according to Spotrac. That move would create enough space to sign any tier of veteran minimum contract, though the list of available options at this stage is limited.

Thin free-agent market leaves few good answers

The remaining free-agent centre market has largely dried up. Philadelphia could look at veterans such as Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk or Bismack Biyombo, all of whom served as depth behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in San Antonio last season. Small-ball options like Kevin Love, Chris Boucher, Maxi Kleber or former Sixer Dario Saric could also be considered as undersized fives, with Olynyk standing out as the player who logged the most minutes of that group in 2025-26.

A trade is another path, particularly with teams that have a surplus of big men, but most players who signed this summer cannot be moved until Dec. 15. Walker profiles as the most logical trade chip in the short term, while Anfernee Simons will become trade-eligible on Dec. 15 and, with his $6 million salary, could help bring back a more substantial piece.

In the meantime, the 76ers may be forced into more small-ball looks with Walker, Dean Wade or Dominick Barlow sliding to centre. The injury to Hukporti has quickly highlighted how thin Philadelphia is at the position and may push the team to lean more on Embiid during the regular season than originally planned, even as keeping him healthy remains the organization’s top priority.