0
The Philadelphia 76ers will have to wait before showing their full-strength lineup in the preseason opener against the defending NBA champion New York Knicks on Monday night. Philadelphia is set to be without seven players at Xfinity Mobile Arena, including LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Adem Bona and more, leaving several of the team’s biggest names on the sidelines.
The biggest absence will be James, who will not make his much-anticipated Sixers debut against New York. The 41-year-old forward joined Philadelphia during the offseason and had been one of the major talking points surrounding the team’s new-look roster. With James and several other key players unavailable, fans will have to wait a little longer to see how Philadelphia’s star-studded group comes together on the court.
Ariel Hukporti’s Injury Adds to 76ers’ Frontcourt Concerns as LeBron James Sits Out
The Philadelphia 76ers entered their preseason opener against the New York Knicks with plenty of attention on their star-studded roster, but LeBron James was among the players unavailable for Monday night’s game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 41-year-old forward will have to wait for his Sixers debut after joining Philadelphia in free agency this summer. James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Anfernee Simons, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona and Tacko Fall were all ruled out, with Philadelphia taking a cautious approach to its veterans rather than rushing them into preseason action. James is being managed ahead of his 24th NBA season and has previously indicated that he wants to avoid doing too much before the regular season.
While James’ absence was planned, the Sixers suffered a concerning setback during the game when Ariel Hukporti appeared to injure his right leg in the opening quarter. The big man went down while trying to contest Karl-Anthony Towns and immediately signalled for a timeout before being helped off the court without putting weight on the leg. Hukporti had been expected to compete for backup center minutes behind Embiid after joining Philadelphia during free agency, and he had impressed during the team’s Blue X White Scrimmage over the weekend.
The situation was particularly concerning because Philadelphia was already thin at center. Bona is dealing with a foot sprain, Barlow is sidelined with a back issue and Fall is nursing a hip strain, leaving Jabari Walker as the only active player with a traditional center profile. Head coach Nick Nurse was even forced to experiment with Dean Wade at the five. After the game, Nurse said there was no immediate update on Hukporti but revealed that the player would undergo imaging on Tuesday, with the medical staff specifically examining his right Achilles.
A serious Achilles injury would leave the Sixers facing another difficult roster problem, particularly with their frontcourt depth already stretched. A Disabled Player Exception could potentially become available, but Philadelphia’s first-apron restrictions would limit how effectively it could use that mechanism. For now, the team will await the imaging results while continuing to manage its key veterans carefully, with the regular season beginning on October 20 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Philadelphia 76ers Injury and Availability Report: Latest Updates
| Player | Position | Status / Injury Details |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you Fall | Center | Out with a left hip strain; expected to miss at least two weeks. |
| Adem Bona | Power Forward / Center | Out with a foot sprain sustained during FIBA play; day-to-day and being re-evaluated. |
| Dominick Barlow | Forward | Out with lower-back soreness/tightness. |
| Anfernee Simons | Guard | Out with minor muscle tightness. |
| LeBron James | Forward | Resting/managed due to chronic left foot arthritis; expected to make his Sixers debut soon. |
| Joel Embiid | Center | Resting/healthy inactive for the preseason opener. |
| Tyrese Maxey | Guard | Resting/healthy inactive for the preseason opener. |
The Sixers will continue to manage their key players cautiously while monitoring their injured frontcourt options ahead of the regular season.