The Philadelphia 76ers are set to kick off their 2023-2024 NBA campaign later this week, and it looks like they will be doing it without All-Star guard James Harden.
This has been an awkward and difficult offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers. The organization took the bold step of firing veteran head coach Doc Rivers and replacing him with former Toronto Raptors playcaller Nick Nurse. That in itself is a major shift change heading into a new season, however, it was overshadowed by a far bigger story over the last six months.
After believing he was lied to about promises of a pay raise after signing a team-friendly two-year deal in the summer of 2022, James Harden shockingly opted into the final year of his contract with the Sixers but then demanded to be traded. It has led to some ugly and strong public statements from Harden toward general manager Daryl Morey in a battle to escape Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately for the 10-time All-Star, the organization has not looked to quickly move the disgruntled star and is holding out for a trade that most benefits them and has invited him to participate in all team activities during training camp and the preseason. But the 34-year-old reportedly has only appeared once at the team’s facility.
James Harden stats (’22-’23): 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 10.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 39% 3PT
Now, with their season set to kick off with a major matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, a league insider offered up a major update on the latest with Harden’s availability for their regular season opener.
On Monday morning, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Harden has continued to stay away from the team in recent weeks, and “It is increasingly unclear whether Harden will be available to play in the Sixers opener vs. Milwaukee on Thursday, sources said.”
Related: James Harden expected to make things painful for Philadelphia 76ers moving forward
At this point, it would seem like a shocking shift for him to be with the team for their game against the Bucks. However, this has been an unpredictable offseason and it isn’t completely impossible he decides to rejoin the team permanently later this week.