The NBA is investigating the Sixers for guard James Harden‘s lack of availability for Thursday night’s game against the Bucks as it relates to the league’s new player participation policy, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Harden returned to the 76ers on Wednesday after being away from the team for 10 days due to what he and the team described as a personal matter.
Wojnarowski adds in a follow-up tweet that because Philadelphia is playing a national television game against Milwaukee, the new player policy rules state the Sixers have to provide a valid reason for why Harden isn’t playing since he’s healthy and a recent All-Star (within the last three years).
“We’re looking into the facts around James Harden’s availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation,” said NBA spokesman Mike Bass.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, a star player is excused for national TV games due to injury, personal reasons and rare or unusual circumstances. While Harden isn’t necessarily hurt, Marks points out that he probably isn’t in game shape since he hasn’t been with the team in 10 days and the team likely feels the same way.
In a separate but related story, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report details Harden’s return to Philadelphia on Wednesday, which he says came as a surprise to Sixers officials. According to Haynes, Harden was approached by team officials, who told him it would be “beneficial” for him to remain in Philadelphia to continue to get re-acclimated with the team rather than travel for Philadelphia’s two-game road stretch to begin the season.
Harden interpreted the officials’ words as a suggestion, not a demand, according to Haynes, who writes the star guard traveled to the airport following practice to board the team flight, but was stopped by a security official who told him he wasn’t permitted to join the team.
The 10-time All-Star departed the airport frustrated by the incident, leading him and his camp to perceive the incident as the Sixers trying to remove a potential distraction, while the club insists it’s prioritizing his ramp-up to play, Haynes writes.
Harden’s trade request hasn’t wavered, according to Haynes, though reports surfaced Wednesday that the Clippers were pausing their pursuits of the star guard. Philadelphia officials are holding out hope the situation will become manageable, but it’s important to keep an eye on how this situation affects both star center Joel Embiid and coach Nick Nurse, Haynes writes. For what it’s worth, Haynes notes rival teams are monitoring how much Embiid is willing to endure.
Even though teammates and coaches described Harden as handling the situation professionally before his absence, the saga is already creating a distraction on the outside looking in, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link). Despite that, Nurse is attempting to keep his team focused, Pompey writes. The head coach said he hasn’t seen his team distracted by the situation, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
“My concerns right now are really going to be focused on the game [Thursday] night,” Nurse said. “We put a lot into this, and we’re in a great space I think mentally and preparation-wise, all that stuff. That’s what I’ll continue to do.“
Embiid must be thinking “get me out of here” having to deal with Harden and Morey.
Wonder which team he’ll be on in the future.
“Get me out of here”? Embiid is the common denominator.
76ers need to find a way to solve the problems, it’s continuation, additional penalty
Don’t lie, what is really happening?
Morey former team, Rockets, has more problems than 76ers
It’s unsolvable problem
No, the Rockets are far more stable than the Sixers. Nobody on Houston’s roster is demanding a trade. They’re young and talented, trying to take that team to the next level.
Harden is not in good shape today., but his mental issues needed to be
Rockets shooting and defense needed to be fixed right away. It’s a huge mess
I don’t know, the KPJ issue is pretty serious and maybe worse than whatever Harden has done in the past as a Rocket. These incidents keep superstars away and gives the organization a bad rap. To have 3 different negative situations (counting John Wall situation)in 10 years, is hard on the fans and organization. Superstars turn away from Houston due to their poor reputation right now. It was hard to get superstars after Barkley horrible attitude and reputation on and off the court. Rockets traded Steve Francis for T-Mac and got Yao Ming. They even tried to add a third superstar to have a trio. But no one would take their money at that time.
It shows even now the Rockets can’t sign a superstar. They dished out tens of millions of dollars to bench guys to start at the NBA level. Guys that are no better than what they lost, TyTy Washington, Nix, Christopher, Martin Jr, and others. Heck, they had to trade their draft picks for Harden to get him in Houston. Then treat him like a king to keep him in Houston.
So, I think Philly has a better situation than the Rockets have currently. Only other team in a crisis like the Rockets to some degree, is the Nets. Don’t judge, just telling it like it is.
So three different negative situations.
1. Jimmy Butler didn’t like the current coach and one of his teammates so they didn’t resign him
2. The star player you kept has a mental breakdown during the playoffs so the team throws him under the bench and withholds his pay while he’s trying to recover from a mental illness.
3. The star player they traded Ben Simmons for now wants out of the situation and states that your President of Basketball Operations who is also Harden’s long time friend a liar.
Seems like Philly has some problems and I’m only going back 5 years, you went back over 20 years.
Alternate reality strikes again.
The solution is simple, trade Harden for whatever you can get and you get addition by subtraction. The Sixers actually look pretty good without him anyway.
Trading for this guy has ruined what the process was all about. Going back to then, they had several assets still left, believer it or not many teams wanted Ben Simmons, and they had Joel ready to take it to the next level. Morey only had eyes for harden. He could have traded Simmons for even more assets and another good player or two. They could have stayed young and had a contender for years. Instead he threw all his cards in for his BFF. Just maddening to think about the wasted opportunity.
It wasn’t Morey’s mess, he did not set the dumpster on fire
You dont think tanking for 5 years straight was an issue with “The Process?”
Harden did not ruin anything. He is the perfect player to end the worst Idea in Professional sports, AKA “The Process.”
Sixers reap what they sow. They chose to tank, they chose to trade Tatum and Grant Williams for Markel Fultz. They chose to let Jimmy Butler walk and NOT resign JJ Reddick. They chose to hire Doc Rivers. They chose to throw Ben Simmons under the bus and trade him for James Harden… Yeah, the Sixers wanted Harden.
All of this is their fault, not James Harden’s fault. James Hardens biggest fault is that he is an entertainer who is actually not entertaining to watch. Nobody wants to see him play.
That is who Morey signed. The guy who is boring to watch, the guy who asks for trades every year.
Sorry, I have zero sympathy for the Sixers.
Embiid will be a Heat, Knick or Laker by next season. And then we can finally put the Process to bed, forever.
We don’t want or care about your sympathy! No one likes us, we don’t care
Bryan and Jerry Colangelo were league plants forced on the Sixers to end the Process. Colangelo botched the Process. Brett Brown ended up playing GM. All the assets blown between those 3 clowns.
Although nothing you said is factual,actually not one single word is accurate, thanks for the laugh.
It’s never easy in Philly
This all started because they were sooooo determined to draft Ben Simmons!!!!
No Ben Simmons, no drama
SMH
Trust the process!
All this Drama could have been avoided if they just chose Butler over Simmons.
It was really more that they couldnt keep Butler on the books and give Al Horford his deal, which they ended up jettisoning anyways.
Imagine the value they could have gotten trading Simmons that offseason on his rookie deal while keeping Jimmy!
I’m starting to feel for JoJo.
Fire Morey should be the first move
Harden could have opted out of his deal and signed directly with the Clippers. He prioritized a few extra bucks over his own happiness. Commissioner needs to crack down on these prima donnas
When a team has a security official inform you at the airport that you’re not allowed to join the team’s flight…
…gotta maybe sorta kinda think your BS isn’t welcome any more.
Then trade him.
Almost maybe possibly could think they informed him even before he went to the airport not to bother. But hey, he probably overslept after a late night at the local strip club, where he lost his phone and even if he didn’t, blocked all numbers from anyone connected with the team, and just thought he missed the bus from Sixers Plaza. Or something like that.
It says above he went to practice before leaving for the airport. So no your nonsense about the strip club the night before doesn’t work.
Cuz I was being totally serious…
At this point, any team that trades for or signs James Harden, deserves him.
Shhhh…..
I’ve seen some Sixers fans complaining the team shouldn’t potentially be punished for whatever Harden does. I disagree. They have the option to suspend him and, in doing so, wouldn’t have to worry about any Player Participation stuff.
But they won’t because Morey continues to try and thread an impossible needle between trying to get a king’s ransom for Harden while keeping both he and the league happy. Well, reap what you sow then.
So exactly why wouldn’t you take Clippers offer. Nobody is ever coming close to that. Moreyon is an A —ole. Sixers should include PJ in the deal and move on.
So now what do you think about Obrue. He’s the offense you need off the bench. Be thankful you got him for nothing. Now move on from the guy who will give you nothing.
wow! what a mess
Harden, who’s trying his best to be a distraction and force his way out of Philly, is upset that the team sees him as a distraction.
Basically sums this mess up.
trade him for a bottle of aspirin and your headache will disappear
Harden is an absolute bum. A me-first, good for nothing bum.
Didn’t even take a week for these anti load management laws to be made into a joke…
Easiest investigation in the history of investigations. He’s a big baby who’s in the midst of his latest tantrum. Investigation complete.
Sixers need to bite the bullet and get what they can for Harden. They don’t need him and he is a cancer. Take what you can as any trade is addition by subtraction. Maxey is ready to take over.