LOS ANGELES – James Harden is still expected to report to the Philadelphia 76ers’ training sessions in Colorado this week, but how long he remains with the franchise remains to be seen.
The guard was a no-show for the Sixers on Monday, missing media day.
ESPN reported, however, that he is scheduled to join the team at Colorado State University, where Philadelphia will train this week. But whether or not he will take to the court to play for them again was unclear.
Harden has voiced his desire to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as the third star on the team, joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. However, the Sixers and Clippers have not made much progress on a potential deal.
He already has been paid 50 per cent of the US$35.6 million (S$48.8 million) due to him in 2023 – a prepayment option many players choose to take – according to ESPN.
Team president Daryl Morey said on Monday that he is continuing to try to work on the trade front.
He also said if Harden returns to the Sixers and wants to play in the upcoming season, which starts on Oct 24, new coach Nick Nurse plans to get him involved.
“In terms of a trade, I will continue to work on those fronts and, if he’s here, then the coach will work with him on the court. I think it’s pretty straightforward,” Morey said.
“He continues to seek a trade and we are continuing to work with his representation to find the best solution for the 76ers and all parties.”
Nurse, on his part, will carry on without Harden for the moment, unless the player returns.
“If he’s here, like we’ve said on everything, we will get ready to make some adjustments on everything,” he said.
“We’ll see what happens.”
A 14-year veteran who has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets and the Sixers, Harden has career averages of 24.7 points, 7.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 1,000 regular-season games (786 starts).
He led the league in scoring three times, and last season, his 10.7 assists per game were the most in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A 10-time All-Star, Harden was also the league’s Most Valuable Player in the 2017-18 season and is a six-time All-NBA first-team selection.
The Sixers are at Colorado State University until Friday, and will play their first pre-season game on Sunday in Boston against the retooled Celtics. REUTERS
