Ariel Hukporti is moving on.
Choosing who to keep and who to let pass on is a difficult task for any team with a good amount of free agents on the block and the New York Knicks have had to let another player go.
Ariel Hukporti, a bench option big man for the Knicks the past two seasons, is heading to Philadelphia on a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his team in New York as he leaves as a champion.
Hukporti was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round and traded the same day to the New York Knicks, so New York up to this point was the only home that Hukporti had known in the NBA.
Hukporti Takes A Deal
In the past two seasons, Hukporti has split time between the NBA and the G-League on two-way contracts and while he wasn't on the floor often for New York this season, averaging 9.2 minutes per game, but he often made an impact when he was active.
Standing at 7'0, Hukporti has a high motor and a lot of athleticism that has led him to some outstanding performances in the paint at times this season and made him both a rebounding and blocking machine.
Adding that kind of physicality for the 76ers is a huge plus that can add a certain kind of toughness that Philadelphia has been without in the biggest moments and he adds a crucial support role whenever he's called upon.
Knicks Losing Size
Losing both Hukporti and Mitchell Robinson in free agency puts the Knicks in a difficult position when it comes to their big men. Karl-Anthony Towns is obviously headlining the starting rotation as far as centers go, but with Towns' penchant for getting into foul trouble, having depth at center is critical for New York.
That's where Hukporti shined this past season especially in the now-iconic Game 4 comeback that the Knicks pulled off in the Finals when Hukporti was subbed in during the first quarter after Towns got into foul trouble early.
Hukporti made his presence known early when he blocked a layup attempt by Dylan Harper and considering the Knicks won that game by one point, any play from any player stands out as huge.
Those small moments are where Hukporti stands out the most and it's those small moments that the Knicks will need to find a replacement for and it's those small moments that the 76ers now have support for.
