The Sixers currently running short of their first apron and unable to add a 15th man without striking a cost-cutting deal. On top of that, one of their 14 players on standard contracts is expected to miss the entire 2026/27 season as Ariel Hookporti underwent surgery on Tuesday repair the rupture of the right Achilles tendon.
That leaves Philadelphia with 13 players on standard contracts, and some of those players are dealing with minor health issues of their own. The Sixers announced the following injury details on Wednesday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports and Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter references):
- Forward Dominic Barlowwho sat out the 76ers’ preseason game on Monday with a back problem, will be sidelined for at least the team’s next two games Thursday against Brooklyn and Saturday against Boston. He consults with medical personnel regarding treatment options.
- Off-season supplement Anfernie Simons will also remain on the shelf for the next two preseason games after missing Monday’s opener. The veteran guard was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice as he deals with a hamstring problem.
- A great man Adem Bono continues to recover from sprained left foot he endured playing for Turkey in a World Cup qualifier. He took the field for the first time on Wednesday, but will not play on Thursday or Saturday.
The Sixers are scheduled to play just four games during the preseason, so the Oct. 16 matchup against Boston will be the last chance for Barlow, Simons and Bona to see anything before the regular season begins on Oct. 20. It remains to be seen whether one or more of them will be active in next Friday’s preseason finale.
While Philadelphia is missing several role players, the club’s stellar starting five is expected to be active Thursday, head coach Nick Nurse said today (Link to Twitter via Neubeck). With few reserves, Nurse should also be able to evaluate campers on non-guaranteed deals that could be considered for the team’s open championship two-way contract slot.
Of course, with Hookporti out for the season and Bono still on the mend, the team may want to use a third two-way center spot – Thank you, autumn is the only one of the Sixers’ five Exhibit 10 players to be eligible, and he is out due to hip strain.
At this point, it appears the 76ers will rely on a small-ball look starting under center Joel Embiid not on the floor. Speaking to reporters today, the nurse identified Barlow (if he is healthy), Jabari Walker, Dean Wadeand even LeBron James as potential options on the top five (Link to Twitter via Neubeck).