Shams: 76ers add Ariel Hukporti on one-year deal

Hukporti signed with the 76ers at the start of free agency after spending the first two years of his career with the Knicks. He was expected to provide more center depth behind Joel Embiid, but he won’t be available for this season. Adem Bona (foot) is currently out as well, but he should be the primary backup center behind Embiid, though the 76ers will likely have to make a move to bring in another big.

Starting for Joel Embiid, Hukporti played five minutes against his former team before leaving the game with a non-contact right leg injury. The 76ers center appeared to take an awkward step back while defending Karl-Anthony Towns, then fell to the floor and immediately grabbed the lower back area of his right leg. Hukporti required assistance to the locker room and did not return. With Adem Bona (foot) currently out, the 76ers’ center depth would take a significant hit if Hukporti misses time.

Walker’s contract for the upcoming season isn’t fully guaranteed until January 10, so he still has work to do. He looked sharp in Monday’s preseason opener, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and showing more confidence in his shot than last season. Walker’s role may also grow in importance because of injuries to Philadelphia’s other rotation bigs. Adem Bona (foot) is recovering from a sprain, while Ariel Hukporti suffered a lower-right-leg injury in the first half of Monday’s game. Given starting center Joel Embiid’s injury history, Walker is someone to watch with Bona and Hukporti sidelined.

The 76ers will open their preseason without multiple key players, including Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. With those expected starters unavailable, KCP, Wade and Hukporti will start. The latter may be the one to watch, as he’ll be competing with the currently injured Adem Bona for the right to back up Embiid. There isn’t much to gain from drafting Hukporti in most leagues, but Embiid’s injury history makes it possible that the former Knick will be a relevant streamer at some point during the regular season.

Bona, who is expected to compete with Ariel Hukporti for the backup center job, suffered the injury while representing Turkïye during FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The 76ers announced that he’ll be re-evaluated when training camp begins at the end of the month. While Bona’s injury won’t significantly affect his fantasy draft value, missing regular-season games would remove a potential safety net for managers who select Joel Embiid.

Fall last played in the NBA in 2022, but he’ll get another shot after playing professionally in China. Fall could make an impact as a backup big man if he sees the court, but he’ll compete with Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti for minutes behind the oft-injured Joel Embiid. Thomas and Nelson Jr. are unlikely to see many minutes this season, barring multiple injuries up the depth chart.

The addition of LeBron James via free agency has opened the door for others to consider Philadelphia as a new home, even though the 76ers have limited roster space. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a one-year deal, and there have reportedly been conversations between the team and Love’s agent. However, the 76ers have two backup centers on the roster in Adem Bona and offseason signing Ariel Hukporti. Also, the KCP signing filled Philadelphia’s standard contract slots, meaning someone would have to be moved to make room for Love. In a reserve role, the veteran forward/center is unlikely to be in a position to consistently impact fantasy basketball next season.

The 76ers had until Monday to waive Bona without incurring any financial penalty, but they have reportedly decided to hold on to the former second-round pick. As a result, he’s guaranteed to make a shade under $2.3 million next season. In his second NBA season, Bona averaged 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17.4 minutes per game. He’ll combine with offseason signing Ariel Hukporti to provide depth behind Joel Embiid, which makes both players non-factors in fantasy basketball.

Previous reports indicated that Robinson should be available, and he was able to do some individual work on Sunday. However, his official designation for the first game of the Finals is questionable. Don’t expect Mike Brown to dip deep down the depth chart for center minutes if Robinson is out. Karl-Anthony Towns will likely play a massive workload, with Ariel Hukporti giving him a few minutes to breathe when Victor Wembanyama isn’t on the floor.

After Robinson played a combined 48 games over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, he appeared in 60 games for the Knicks this year. The 28-year-old center is a key reserve, averaging 19.6 minutes and controlling the boards with 8.8 rebounds. Whether the Knicks can win the Finals, which start next week, without him is a question the organization hopes remains hypothetical. In the case that Robinson is out, New York would probably elect to backfill some of those minutes with Ariel Hukporti.