Center depth was already the Philadelphia 76ers' glaring concern when it comes to the depth chart. The concern level is already rising to uncomfortable levels as the team announced a notable setback just before training camp begins.
According to an official press release, an MRI confirmed that 76ers center Adem Bona has suffered a left foot sprain. He is expected to be re-evaluated at the start of training camp in late September. The team will not have a definitive timeline until media day at the earliest.
A big opportunity for the new guy
The 76ers already have a good idea of what Adem Bona brings to the table. The former second-rounder has been with the team for the past two seasons, and even played a small role in their most recent playoff run.
Over the past two years, Bona shared minutes with Andre Drummond. When the Sixers reached free agency this summer, Drummond hit the open market and signed a deal with the New York Knicks. The Sixers essentially swapped centers with the champ by scooping up Ariel Hukporti after the Knicks cut ties with him.
With Drummond out the door, and Johni Broome sent to the Los Angeles Clippers in a salary dump, it became clear that the Sixers intend to host a battle between Bona and Hukporti behind Embiid. Unfortunately, Bona is already staring at a difficult obstacle he'll have to overcome. As a silver lining, the Sixers could end up seeing plenty of Hukporti, putting the ex-Knick to the test early on.
Hukporti landed in the NBA ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season. He appeared in just 25 games that year. As a rookie, Hukporti averaged 8.7 minutes per game, shooting 67.7% from the field and producing 1.9 points per game. He also came down with 2.0 rebounds per game.
During the Knicks' championship campaign in 2025-2026, Hukporti came off the bench for all but five of the 54 games he played. Averaging 9.2 minutes per game, the young veteran shot 56.3% from the field to average 2.2 points. He also came down with 2.9 rebounds per game and had 0.5 blocks per game on the defensive end of the floor.
There were 10 games in the playoffs where Hukporti played an average of 7.6 minutes of action. It wasn't an impactful role, but it at least gave the 23-year-old center some valuable experience.
It's unclear how long Bona will be out for the Sixers during training camp and the preseason, but Hukporti has to be gearing up for an important opportunity.
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