Ariel Hukporti’s first preseason appearance for Philadelphia has become his last for the season. The 76ers confirmed on Tuesday, 6 October, that an MRI showed a torn right Achilles tendon, with surgery scheduled for later that day. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the injury will sideline him for the entire 2026–27 campaign.
The loss removes a contender for minutes behind Joel Embiid from a centre rotation already missing Adem Bona and training-camp signing Tacko Fall. Philadelphia is no longer waiting to learn how serious Hukporti’s injury is; it now has to work out how to cover his absence.
MRI confirms the diagnosis
The NBA’s official report, carrying Philadelphia’s announcement, confirmed the tear and planned surgery. ESPN’s follow-up reporting established the season-ending outlook.
There is an important distinction: the Sixers confirmed the diagnosis and surgery plans but did not announce a return timetable. The full-season absence is ESPN’s reporting, also noted by NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Hukporti went down without contact while defending in the first quarter of Monday’s preseason opener against New York. He grabbed his lower right leg and was helped off the floor, with former Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns assisting him.
Philadelphia won 120–97, but the result quickly became secondary. Nick Nurse said afterwards that imaging would focus on Hukporti’s right Achilles. That uncertainty, covered in Buckets’ initial scan-watch report, has now been resolved.
The backup-centre competition changes
Hukporti joined Philadelphia in July after spending his first two NBA seasons with the Knicks. He and Bona were competing for the backup-centre role behind Embiid, making this more than the loss of a fringe preseason participant.
Bona has been sidelined by a left foot sprain and had not participated in training camp, according to ESPN. Nurse has expressed hope that he can appear during preseason, but that is not a confirmed return date. Fall, signed to an Exhibit 10 training-camp deal, is also unavailable with a left hip injury.
Embiid did not play in the opener either. With those centres absent, Hukporti started against his former club.
Jabari Walker supplied an immediate alternative after the injury, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes. Dean Wade and Dominick Barlow are other smaller options at centre identified by NBC Sports Philadelphia. Those alternatives give Nurse flexibility, but they do not establish a settled replacement rotation.
Fantasy: monitor Bona, do not chase one box score
Bona is the clearest player to monitor because a competitor for the backup job is now unavailable. His own health remains the first checkpoint, followed by his minutes once he returns.
Walker’s productive opener puts him on the deep-league watchlist, not on an automatic-add list. One exhibition game played with several centres absent is not enough to project a lasting fantasy role.
For redraft managers, Hukporti should be removed from active-season plans on the strength of ESPN’s season-ending report. For everyone tracking Philadelphia’s frontcourt, the next useful evidence is Bona’s availability and how Nurse distributes the remaining preseason centre minutes.
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