Philadelphia 76ers center Ariel Hukporti has suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Hukporti suffered the injury just five minutes into Philadelphia's preseason opener against his former team, the New York Knicks.
The 24-year-old went down without contact during the first quarter and immediately grabbed his lower right leg. He was unable to put weight on the leg and required assistance leaving the court.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed after the game that imaging would focus on Hukporti's right Achilles. Further examination has now confirmed the rupture and ended his season before the regular season has begun.
Hukporti joined Philadelphia this summer on a one-year, $3.4 million contract after spending his first two NBA seasons with New York. He had been competing for the backup-center role behind Joel Embiid and started Monday's preseason game with Embiid unavailable.
The injury also creates an immediate frontcourt problem for Philadelphia. Adem Bona has been dealing with a foot sprain, while the Sixers have had other big men limited during training camp.