James Harden needed to be with the Philadelphia 76ers for the workforce’s season-opener on the highway in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks. Harden, who had been away from the workforce for 10 days in what the group is looking an excused absence, made a shock look at apply on Wednesday. If Harden thought he was going to be with the workforce in Milwaukee, he was fallacious.
When Harden confirmed up the airport to board the workforce airplane together with his teammates, a workforce official turned him away, in accordance with TNT’s Chris Haynes. Normal supervisor Elton Model and head coach Nick Nurse then gave Harden the information that they needed him conducting particular person exercises on the workforce facility to gauge his conditioning stage.
Right here’s Haynes’ full report from simply earlier than the Sixers and Bucks squared-off within the season opener for each golf equipment on Thursday night time.
Harden was upset on the prospect of being turned away, and stated he needed to work out with the workforce’s assistant coaches on the highway. Given every thing he’s pulled this offseason, it’s not a lot of a shock that the Sixers wouldn’t need him round.
Harden requested a commerce from the Sixers at first of the offseason after a weird sequence of occasions that noticed him decide into his participant possibility and instantly demand to be despatched to the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden appeared to believed the 76ers have been going to reward him long-term contract extension this summer time after he took a pay minimize to assist the workforce add position gamers final season. Prime govt Daryl Morey determined to not give Harden an extension, and Harden spent the remainder of the offseason sulking as he waited for a commerce to materialize. Throughout an look in China, Harden known as Morey a liar in a viral video and stated he’d by no means play for a corporation with him once more.
Harden was with the workforce in coaching camp … a minimum of for a short while. Harden final scrimmaged on Oct. 7, and didn’t play within the preseason.
The NBA is investigating Harden’s absence, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, for the way it pertains to the league’s new participant participation coverage. After all, there shouldn’t a lot thriller right here: Harden needs a commerce, the Sixers need an engaged participant, and Morey doesn’t need to commerce him till he is aware of he can absolutely maximize his return. This cleaning soap opera is much from over.