Whether or not James Harden would show up to training camp had been a hot topic of discussion in recent weeks, especially since the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star has been wanting a trade. On Wednesday, Harden arrived in Colorado for camp, leading to more questions about if he would begin wreaking havoc in order to force the team into a move.

While he may be disappointed that his trade request was not fulfilled, Harden was at practice and acted completely normal. There were no arguments, there was no confrontation between him and the staff, and Harden handled himself how he normally does.

Sixers forward Tobias Harris spoke to the media about Harden's arrival after Wednesday's practice, claiming that the former league MVP wants to compete with his team at the highest level possible.

“We're all grown men here, so everybody understands the business of the game of basketball at this point,” Harris stated. “Personally, he doesn't have to address myself or anybody, truthfully… He's here and his attitude and energy today allowed everybody to understand that he wants to go out there and compete with us.

“In my opinion, all that really matters is his energy and effort towards myself and all his teammates.”

Harden showing up and not disrupting anything the Sixers had planned for training camp is a little bit of a surprise, especially after there was talk about the superstar showing up in order to push his own agenda. Based on what Harris stated, Harden did not act any different than he was with the team last season, which is good news for the Sixers based on the idea that they want him back to begin the 2023-24 season.

Even though he had requested a trade and wanted to join the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, executive Daryl Morey and the Sixers did not give into their star's request. Harden, who called Morey a “liar” this offseason, did not attend Media Day on Monday and was not made available to speak with reporters on Wednesday.

At this time, the 76ers have not been engaging in trade conversations with other teams regarding Harden and they truly want him on their roster heading into the new season. Joel Embiid is coming off a season in which he won the league's MVP award, giving Philadelphia the confidence they need to compete for a title. The 2022-23 season was the best of Embiid's career and that's not surprising given that he was playing next Harden, who led the league in assists per game.

Harden, who has always been known to be a score-first type of talent, has embraced his role as a primary facilitator with the 76ers. Assuming he is on their roster this upcoming year, he will once again hold a pivotal role offensively in the team's hunt for a championship.