Adem Bona’s possible outlook for the 2026-27 season has changed before we’ve even reached the start of the regular season. Just days after the Sixers held their media day and hype for the new year really started to ramp up, one of their few centers, Ariel Hukporti, was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tear.
Yet again, the Sixers find themselves with shallow depth at center. What’s new?
There isn’t an easy way to replace Hukporti, as our Bryan Toporek has already explained. The Sixers already didn’t
have much in the way of traditional center size or skillset off the bench behind Joel Embiid, and now that’s even more apparent. Getting experimental and downsizing more often is one option to help. There’s clearly merit to using someone like Dominick Barlow (if healthy) in spells at the 5, to give the team a boost of athleticism and defensive switchability. Jabari Walker is another smaller option, who’s off to a strong start in preseason play so far. LeBron James could find himself spending a little time at center. Even Dean Wade could be an option right now, Nick Nurse has said.
But apart from how the Sixers can experiment and potentially bring in someone using their open two-way spot, one player that you have to immediately look to is the other big man who, at least in theory, could tick several of the boxes you need from a typical backup center: Adem Bona.
Lately, Bona has been getting over an injury himself. He suffered a foot sprain last month while playing for Türkiye in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. As Bona said himself at media day, recovery and treatment has been going very well. He’s got back to some work on the court. The Sixers set themselves a timeline to get Bona back in action by two weeks into training camp, and that’s still what they’re on track for.
Bona clearly has his strengths, and has looked like a legit NBA backup in his finest games. He has a great motor, stellar speed and agility at 6-foot-10, the lateral quickness to switch onto smaller players, solid offensive rebounding, explosive play finishing and dunking at times, and clear shot-blocking talent. His 1.2 blocks in only 17.4 minutes per game last season (and a ranking of ninth in the NBA in blocks per 100 possessions at 3.2) is impressive. But the flaws have remained obvious. He doesn’t have great hands when operating in the paint on offense (despite being a thunderous finisher when he’s at his best), bizarrely struggles as a defensive rebounder, and he still makes some blatant errors from positioning to his high rate of silly fouls.
Now, the challenge for Bona in his third NBA season is to prove he can be consistent. And the Sixers sure could use it now with Hukporti sidelined.
When speaking to reporters at media day, Bona talked about how his FIBA experience helped this summer. He’s keen to build on what he’s been learning through playing with different teammates and embracing different styles of play:
“Playing all summer helps with staying in shape, staying in game-ready shape. Also, sharing the floor with guys like [Alperen] Sengun, Furkan [Korkmaz], it just gives you a different perspective of the game. We get to play a different style of game being coached by coach [Ergin] Ataman. It’s just different, you get a different perspective, play a different style, and it just keeps giving you an understanding and you get to learn to play a different style.”
Bona also touched on what he worked on this summer in his own training:
“For me, just getting better as a basketball player all around. There’s been a couple of focuses, though, on like helping the team spread the floor, even in the post, in the dunker, around the rim, and extending outside of there. Always being a presence defensively, and yeah, just those two little things: being around the rim and spreading the floor.”
Clearly Bona won’t suddenly become a shooter and floor spacer. But if he can actually improve his hands, touch, and offering on offense to be any more than just a dunker — like showing a little more as a roll man and finisher in the paint, and making basic passes reliably — that would go a long way to earning him more minutes.
Now with Hukporti out of the picture, Bona should have more opportunities to get onto the floor and prove whether he can be the Sixers’ backup center option with real size and rim protection. They could clearly use a player with Bona’s build, athleticism and ideal skillset even more now. If he can cut down on mistakes and fouls and stay on the floor longer, he’ll have more easy opportunities to score as a play-finisher than ever before, too. Playing off LeBron’s passing and the gravity of so many talented offensive players will open up more lanes for Bona to run the floor and dive to the basket.
Can Bona actually improve on those weaknesses that have held him back in the NBA so far, though? That’s the question. Once he returns and Nurse starts experimenting with different lineups and center options, we’ll see if Bona can put this summer of training and FIBA experience into practice and rise to the occasion.
