Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden did not show up for training today.
James Harden is a no show at Philadelphia 76ers practice today, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Harden has not been present with the team since Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2023
The Beard, who demanded a trade since picking up his almost 36 million dollar player option for the upcoming campaign, had been expected to be with his teammates in today’s practice. A few days ago, James claimed that he could make his preseason debut in Philadelphia on Friday – the franchise’s final preseason clash – vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
After being in a meeting with the organization in the Big Apple during the weekend, the guard has been in Houston since then. 76ers plan to allow the Beard the opportunity to justify his absence before deciding how to handle any disciplinary actions.
Harden is unhappy with Philadelphia in the offseason after he expected to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, but that hasn’t happened yet. The 2 organizations held discussions in the past few days, but they still can’t agree on a deal that can satisfy both sides.
“Maybe he had something to do.”
-Joel Embiid on James Harden’s absence at Sixers practice
(via @KyleNeubeck, @PHLY_Sixers) pic.twitter.com/eMyMZfbfE6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 18, 2023