The Sixers are adding another center to the mix, with Ariel Hukporti agreeing to a one-year, $3.4 million deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Hukporti arrives in Philadelphia after two seasons with the Knicks, where his role grew a bit in his second year under new head coach Mike Brown. The 24-year-old German big man, listed at seven feet and described by Charania as an athletic player with a high motor, appeared in 54 games last season and made five starts.
He averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game. He also logged 10 postseason appearances for New York, including Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals.
New York had until Monday’s deadline to extend Hukporti a qualifying offer worth about $2.65 million, which would have made him a restricted free agent. Instead, the Knicks passed on the QO as they worked to stay below the second tax apron, opening the door for Hukporti to hit unrestricted free agency and land with Philadelphia. His new deal comes in above the minimum salary, which would have been around $2.45 million.
For the Sixers, the move fits into a broader roster picture that still has some moving parts. Philadelphia is expected to use part of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception on free agent forward Dean Wade, but there should still be enough left to fit Hukporti into that same exception. The bi-annual exception is also an option, though that path appears less likely.
Hukporti should get a real chance to fight for backup minutes behind Joel Embiid at center this fall, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. Adem Bona is also expected to be in that competition, and the addition of Hukporti could be another sign that Andre Drummond’s run with the Sixers is nearing its end.
As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron noted, Philadelphia is currently projected to sit $4.6 million below the luxury tax line and $13.2 million below its first-apron hard cap with 13 players under contract. Whether the Sixers plan to cross into the tax - possibly by bringing back Kelly Oubre Jr. - or stay under remains to be seen.
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