The depth of the Philadelphia 76ers continues to take hits this preseason.
Dominick Barlow, who has been absent this preseason due to what was only really described as a back injury, has been confirmed to have suffered a lumbar spine bone stress response, the team announced Monday evening. The diagnosis came as the result of imaging done on the 23-year-old and the team says he will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Barlow was one of the more reliable role players in the rotation for Philadelphia last season
and ended up appearing in 71 games, averaging 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per outing in 2025-26.
And his injury is just the latest blow to the Sixers’ depth chart before the start of the regular campaign. The Sixers will now open the season on Tuesday without Barlow, Tacko Fall (quad) and Ariel Hukporti (out for season, achilles). Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Adem Bona (foot) and Dean Wade (ankle) are all questionable for the opener against the New York Knicks.
The good news is that the starting unit is good to go as of Tuesday night’s injury report with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are all set to take the floor as the starting five for Philadelphia against the Knicks.
The bad news is that the Sixers are in a precarious position as these injuries pile up. Short of a trade, the Sixers are handcuffed from signing anyone new (and filling their final open roster spot) until mid-December, when signing someone for the minimum would no longer push them over the first apron at which they are currently hard-capped.
But hey, it wouldn’t be a Sixers season without some injury issues before we’ve even tipped off, right?
