Sixers Add Tacko Fall and Jameer Nelson Jr. to Deepen Thin Center Room
Philly signed the 7-6 Fall after a three-year NBA absence, plus the son of team EVP Jameer Nelson — but neither dents Joel Embiid's fantasy value.
Depth signings don't touch his workload; still a top-15 value when healthy.
- Fall: 2.2 pts, 2.4 reb in 37 career NBA games
- Last NBA action was 11 games with Cleveland in 2021-22
- Nelson Jr. undrafted, never played an NBA minute
- Embiid played just 38 games last season (2025-26)
- Bona ranks #298 overall, Hukporti #383 on our board
The 76ers spent their summer swinging for the fences — trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James — and now they're quietly patching the depth chart. Philly added 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, point guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and forward Kevin Thomas, though the team didn't disclose terms or confirm whether any are two-way deals.
Fall is the headline curiosity. He hasn't logged an NBA minute since 2021-22, when he appeared in 11 games (one start) for Cleveland, and his career line reads 2.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks across 37 games at 6.2 minutes a night. Since then he's bounced through China and New Zealand, most recently with the Ningbo Rockets. It's unclear whether Philly sees him as NBA insurance or a Delaware Blue Coats project.
Why Philly Needed Bodies
The context matters here: behind oft-injured All-NBA center Joel Embiid, the cupboard is thin. Adem Bona averaged 4.8 points in 16.6 minutes last season (2025-26) and Ariel Hukporti managed 2.2 points in 9.2 minutes. Embiid himself played just 38 games in 2025-26. For a team with championship expectations, one more injury to Embiid could get ugly fast.
Nelson Jr., a 6-2 guard, carries the more familiar name — he's the son of team EVP Jameer Nelson, a 14-year NBA vet. The younger Nelson went undrafted after five college seasons across George Washington, Delaware and TCU, averaging 13.5 points and shooting 31.1% from deep. His peak came at Delaware in 2022-23 (20.6 points, 3.6 assists). He's since played G League ball with Austin and Stockton, plus stints in Canada, China and Puerto Rico.
The Fantasy Fallout
None of this moves your draft board. Fall and Nelson are camp/G League fodder, and even Philly's holdover backups barely register — Bona sits at #298 overall (14.7 fantasy pts/game last season, 2025-26) and Hukporti at #383 (7.9). Hukporti's the only one trending up, riding +6.7 fantasy points over his last five games versus his 2025-26 average, but that's a deep-league dart at best.
The actionable read: HOLD Embiid, who ranks #11 overall on our board and posted 44.5 fantasy pts/game last season (2025-26). These signings don't threaten his usage — they're insurance for the games he inevitably misses. If you're in a deep or dynasty format, tuck Hukporti on your watch list as the first man up should Embiid's knee flare again. Fall and Nelson? Leave them on the wire unless they crack the two-way rotation.
