PHILADELPHIA -- Just five minutes into the preseason opener against the New York Knicks on Monday, 76ers backup center Ariel Hukporti suffered a right leg injury, causing him to leave the 120-97 victory.
The noncontact injury occurred with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter. Hukporti fell to the floor on the defensive end and immediately grabbed his lower right leg.
The big man, signed to a one-year, $3.4 million free agent contract in July after winning a championship with the Knicks, was helped off the floor during an ensuing timeout.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said after the win that Hukporti will get imaging on his right Achilles on Tuesday.
Several of Hukporti's new teammates offered support and concern for the 24-year-old out of Germany.
"Huk has been a joy to have," Jaylen Brown said. "He's been great in the locker room, so it sucks to see a guy like that go down."
Jabari Walker, who finished with 11 points (3-for-5 on 3-pointers) and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench filling in for Hukporti as a stretch big after he went out said he had already grown close with the free agent signee in a short amount of time.
"He's like my brother," Walker said. "It's especially hard for me because I see the work he puts in. He just came to training camp and his energy has been great. He's a great locker room guy. Man ... that messed me up, honestly."
Added Nurse: "I just saw him for a little bit during the game. Gave him a big hug. He's been a joy to coach in the short time he's been here. Really a good dude. So, we'll just hope for the best."
The 7-foot Hukporti started against his former team, with Philadelphia already thin in its frontcourt rotation. He averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in two seasons with New York after being selected with the No. 58 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Joel Embiid, who missed 150 games over the past three seasons because of various injuries, has been healthy during training camp but was given the night off by Nurse, along with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey, who both were also healthy scratches.
Philadelphia was also without two of its backup centers in Adem Bona and Tacko Fall.
Bona, in his second season with the team, has yet to participate in training camp after suffering a left foot sprain during the offseason while playing for Turkey's national team.
Last week, a Sixers spokesman said that Bona would be reevaluated imminently, and Nurse told reporters that he hoped Bona would be available at some point during the preseason.
The 7-5 Fall, who signed to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with a chance to compete for a two-way roster spot, was diagnosed with a left hip sprain after undergoing an MRI last Wednesday. The team said he would be reevaluated in about two weeks.
Philadelphia is allowed to convert Fall to a two-way spot if it chooses and can also monitor the waiver wire over the next two weeks to fill the spot with another eligible player.
The 6-7 Walker, 6-9 Dean Wade and 6-9 Dominick Barlow all give Nurse stretch big options as well.
If Hukporti did suffer an Achilles tear, Philadelphia could be in a tough spot to add another center to replace him to a full roster spot, even if the league grants the Sixers a disabled player exception. They are $1.8 million below the first apron according to ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks and would need to waive Walker -- whose salary only has $250,000 guaranteed -- or complete a minor trade to clear salary otherwise.
Before the game against the Knicks, Nurse said he hoped to have the majority of his players available to play together in two out of the Sixers' three remaining preseason games. Philadelphia goes on the road to play the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, followed by the Boston Celtics on Saturday before closing the exhibition schedule at home against Boston on Oct. 16.
The regular-season opener is Oct. 20 in New York against the Knicks.