76ers center Ariel Hukporti leaves preseason opener after non-contact right leg injury

Philadelphia 76ers center Ariel Hukporti needed to be helped off the court after suffering a non-contact right leg injury less than five minutes into the team's first NBA preseason game against the New York Knicks on Monday.

Hukporti, who left the Knicks to sign a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the 76ers in free agency this summer, got the start in Philadelphia on Monday in place of Joel Embiid, who joined LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey among several other Sixers who didn't suit up for the preseason opener. With the score tied at 10 and just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, Hukporti stepped out to guard former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns at the 3-point arc. As Jalen Brunson curled around a Towns screen, Hukporti dropped back toward the paint to cut off the passing lane.

When Towns held onto the ball and rose up to shoot it, Hukporti planted on his right foot and tried to sprint out to contest the shot. He immediately stopped in his tracks, though, turning to look behind him as he reached for his right ankle and fell to the floor.

After the Knicks scored on the possession, Hukporti remained seated, holding onto his right heel. The Sixers called a timeout, as players and coaches from both teams circled around the fallen big man. Hukporti would need help to get to his feet; seemingly unable to put any weight on his right leg, he leaned on Towns and a member of the coaching staff to help him hop off the floor and back to the locker room. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game, which the Sixers won, 120-97.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after the game that Hukporti would undergo imaging on his right Achilles tendon on Tuesday. He left the arena on crutches and in a walking boot, leaving both his former and current teammates fearing the worst.

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"Definitely heartbreaking," Brunson said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "When I came back in the locker room, I went to go check on him. Sad to see. Obviously, we'll pray for him."

Mike Brown opened his postgame press conference sending his best wishes to Ariel Hukporti pic.twitter.com/CwBeBFFEro

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 6, 2026

"Damn, that messed me up, honestly," a "visibly distraught" Jabari Walker said, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. "Yeah, that messed me up. That's tough [...] I met him early on, and he was just one of the guys right away that was just super cool, outgoing. If you know him, you know he's going to talk to you. He's lively, same version every day. So it's a deeper connection when you already know somebody on that level. It's more investment. So when I heard that news, it's tough. Much love to Ariel."

A second-round pick out of Germany in the 2024 NBA Draft, the 7-foot Hukporti averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game across two seasons in New York. The 24-year-old served as a third-string center on the team that won the 2026 NBA championship behind Towns and Mitchell Robinson before joining Philadelphia to pair with Adem Bona (who has missed the start of training camp after suffering a left foot sprain playing for the Turkish national team this summer) in backing up Embiid — an opportunity for an increased role that the Sixers now must hope hasn't been dashed less than five minutes into his first action with the team.

"I just saw him for a little bit during the game and gave him a big hug," Nurse said, according to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "He's been a joy to coach in the short time he's been here. Really a good dude. We'll just hope for the best."