76ers star James Harden is set to make his first public appearance in months for the 76ers after missing the first two games of the season. According to NBA analyst Shams Charania, the former MVP will be on the sidelines against Portland after completing the pregame routine on Sunday afternoon.
“James Harden is expected to attend the 76ers home opener tonight vs. Trail Blazers and join the team on the bench,” wrote Shams. “Harden completed team’s pregame walkthrough today as well.”
Harden, 34, has been on the outs with the 76ers ever since the 2023 offseason. In response to disappointing contract negotiations this summer, Harden tried to cut all ties with the organization and there was doubt that he’d show up at all this season. But with nowhere else to go, and just one year remaining on his contract, James had no choice but to show up if he wants to avoid losing his eligibility for free agency next year. But just because Harden is on the bench now, doesn’t mean we should expect smooth sailing for the franchise going forward.
The NBA Could Get Involved
No matter where this ordeal leads, continued resistance from Harden and his camp could prompt some major penalties for the future Hall of Famer. As it was revealed earlier this week, Adam Silver and the NBA office are currently reviewing the situation for any wrongdoing and they could step in to take action if the dilemma does not get resolved soon enough.
Of course, it’s not just Harden who has misfired over the past few months. As an organization, the 76ers are not blameless either, and it’s no secret that they turned Harden away when he tried to show up and travel with the team for their West Coast road trip. As for GM Daryl Morey, he’s been accused by Harden of lying in contract talks and it could come back to haunt the Sixers down the road when potential star free agents refuse to join the club.
What’s Next For The 76ers?
With no word yet on when or if we can expect Harden in the lineup, the jury is still out on what kind of season this will be for the 76ers. Thanks to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris, the 76ers still have enough pieces to make things interesting but without Harden, they are unable to match the star power currently held by the Celtics, Bucks, and Heat among other teams. Without Harden, there’s nobody to take the pressure off Embiid, who will be asked to do more on the court than he’s ever done before.
Over the next few weeks and months, it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out and if the 76ers can somehow make something good out of this disastrous ordeal. For now, however, they can only take it one game at a time, and the fact that James is even in the arena for the match against Portland shows that he may be ready to face the reality of his situation.
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