There is still no light at the end of the tunnel that is the James Harden trade saga for the Philadelphia 76ers. And it seems as though this drama will stretch into the start of the regular season, with the Sixers set to open their season against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “it is increasingly unclear whether Harden will be available to play” in the Sixers' season opener against the Bucks. This development should not come as a shock to anyone who's plugged into the current Harden situation.
The Beard has been away from the Sixers' practices for the past five days, and it looks increasingly more likely that James Harden will sit out or take it slow on the court (to avoid being fined) until he gets his desired trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.
More information should come out in the coming days regarding Harden's definite playing status on Thursday night.
The James Harden-Sixers trade saga, abridged
As all NBA fans know, James Harden has been angling for a trade from the Sixers since July after he felt as if the front office failed to hold its end of the bargain regarding a new contract. Thus, Harden opted into his deal for the 2023-24 season with the intention of seeking a trade, preferably to the Clippers. However, three months have passed since and the Sixers remain The Beard's employer.
Harden participated in one scrimmage during training camp, but has been absent from all of the Sixers' preseason games. Harden then traveled to Houston after participating in last Sunday's practice and has since been there, fueling rumors of a potential sit-out. The Beard contended that he was only in Houston to tend to his sick mother, which, by all accounts, is true; but in light of recent events, it's hard not to think that Harden is putting even more pressure on the Sixers to seek out a trade.
However, it's also difficult to envision James Harden missing out on regular season games, as it might lead to hefty financial consequences down the line.
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