Injuries at the center position are nothing new for the Philadelphia 76ers and the team is already dealing with a couple with the 2026 preseason right around the corner. Adem Bona is currently out with a foot sprain suffered while with Turkey for FIBA competition this offseason. We received an update today that he may be available for preseason action.
Unlike Bona, Exhibit 10 signing Tacko Fall is not anticipated to play a role for the main club this season, but the 30-year-old, 7-foot-6 center was diagnosed with a hip strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
From the perspective of how this will affect Philadelphia’s season, Fall’s injury doesn’t move the needle; as an Exhibit 10 signing, we always expected him to be a Delaware Blue Coat this season. However, from a viewing perspective, it would have been fun to see the towering veteran out there in a Sixers uniform during the preseason. The team’s final preseason game is on Friday, October 16, so Fall being re-evaluated in two weeks makes it likely he’ll miss the entire exhibition slate.
Bona potentially being unavailable as well means the Sixers are thin at the center position. The team obviously won’t push Joel Embiid in games that don’t count, but we could be in store for a lot of minutes from free agent signing Ariel Hukporti. Nick Nurse may also want to see what lineups incorporating some of the new pieces look like with Dominick Barlow at the five. The Sixers first take the court in Monday in Philadelphia against the Knicks.
