Vincent Frank
James Harden is not with the Philadelphia 76ers as they prepare to open the season Thursday night against the Bucks in Milwaukee.
But this does not appear to be Harden’s choice. The digruntled former NBA MVP returned to the 76ers on Wednesday after an “excused” 10-day absence and proceeded to take part in team drills.
At that point, a 76ers official met up with Harden and told him it would be beneficial to remain in Philadelphia to continue a ramp-up for live-game action.
We now have more information on this situation courtesy of Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. It’s some crazy stuff.
“After practice, Harden arrived at the fixed-base operator airport to board the team flight, but he was stopped by a security official who notified him that he was not permitted to accompany the team,” Haynes reported.
Ultimately, 76ers general manager Elton Brand and head coach Nick Nurse explained to Harden that the organization prefers he accepts the aforementioned workout plan.
Related: James Harden and updated NBA trade rumors
So many things to look at here. First off, it’s rather obvious that Harden relationship with 76ers front office head Daryl Morey is irreparable. It was back in August that Harden went off on Morey during an event in China after requesting a trade from the 76ers earlier in the summer.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
– James Harden
Secondly, the nature of Harden’s relationship with Philadelphis is apparently so bad that security officials had to prevent him from joining the rest of the team — bags packed and all.
- James Harden stats (2022-23): 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 10.7 APG, 44% shooting
All of this comes after a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicating that the Los Angeles Clippers have ended trade talks with Philadelphia for the enigmatic guard. They are said to be his preferred landing spot with no other team really in on the future Hall of Famer.
As for this most-recent situation, Harden reportedly departed the airport without incident but is said to be extremely frustrated over what transpired.
Flush with internal NBA Championship aspirations, the 76ers are now entering the season with a major dark cloud and some widespread drama surrounding them.
