The Philadelphia 76ers have been preparing for the 2023-24 NBA season not knowing whether or not James Harden was going to be a part of their opening night lineup. After missing practices and being away from the team for the last 10 days, they seem to have a little more clarity on this matter, as Harden returned to Philadelphia on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harden is expected to participate in Wednesday's practice with the team before they hit the road for their season opener on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Harden is not expected to play against the Bucks on Thursday night due to being away from the team for so long.

Throughout the offseason, Harden has made it clear that he wants to be traded. The relationship he once had with team president Daryl Morey appears to be severed, which has led to the All-Star wanting a change of scenery once more.

The Sixers have been unwilling to trade Harden, though, due to the lack of interest throughout the league and no real deal presenting itself. Philadelphia is wanting to bring in championship-level value for Harden, something no team has been willing to offer them at this point.

When he was last with the team on Oct. 13, Harden told reporters that he intended on retiring with the Sixers when he joined them in 2022, but his trust with Morey was broken.

“This is not even about this situation. This is in life, when you lose trust in someone,” Harden stated. “It’s like a marriage. You lose trust in someone, you know what I mean? It’s pretty simple.”

While he did claim that he intended on playing in the team's final preseason matchup, Harden ended up missing all four of the Sixers' preseason games, as well as a vast majority of practices and scrimmages. The former league MVP had been home in Houston due to a personal matter.

Harden returning to the Sixers ahead of their season opener is definitely a welcome sight for the team and their fans. Now 34 years old, the 10-time All-Star is coming off a year in which he led the league in assists per game and played a huge role in big man Joel Embiid claiming the league's MVP award.

Philadelphia needs Harden available and ready to play if they are to be championship contenders, which is why his return to practice on Wednesday is significant. Whether or not Harden is willing to put aside his differences with Morey and the Sixers front office is unknown at this time.