Anyone paying attention to basketball news over the offseason knows James Harden is done with the Philadelphia 76ers, even though he’s under contract for $35.6 million this season. Harden reportedly prefers to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, but working out a trade between the two expected playoff contenders hasn’t been easy. The 76ers are said to be seeking an All-Star return for the three-time scoring champion as a way to help ensure they remain a championship contender, but the Clippers know Harden is disgruntled and have a limited amount of trade capital to spend.
Yet, with the NBA season set to tip off on Tuesday, everyone wants to know the status of Harden. Will he play for the 76ers? Or will we see a Jimmy Butler-style boycott where he refuses to play while angling for a trade?
So far, it seems he’s taking the same route Butler took when he wanted out from Minnesota.
Harden was a no-show at 76ers practice on Wednesday, and he has not been with the team since Sunday. According to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, Harden has been in Houston instead, which is where he was during the 76ers’ media day too.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports Harden did attend an NBA meeting with the 76ers over the weekend, but he’s indeed been in Houston ever since. While the 76ers would surely prefer Harden was at practice, they are expected to give the ten-time All-Star a chance to explain his unexcused absence before moving forward with any possible punishment.
Related: See where James Harden lands in Sportsnaut’s NBA Power Rankings
James Harden trade to Los Angeles Clippers nowhere close
With Harden away from the team, naturally, some have wondered if a trade could be near. Yet, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that is not the case.
Woj reports that the 76ers and Clippers still have a ‘sizable gap‘ in trade negotiations for Harden and that there has been ‘little movement’ for the past few months toward striking a deal.
If the 76ers are deadset on getting an All-Star in return, they may be waiting a while, especially if they are only looking to discuss a trade with the Clippers. We know Harden prefers L.A., but what if Philadelphia does what Portland did with Damian Lillard and found a different trade partner instead? The longer this goes on, the higher the chance something unexpected happens. Yet the bigger question could be how committed Harden would be to whatever new team he lands with next.
Related: Is James Harden still an NBA MVP candidate?