We are about to find out how serious James Harden is about staying away from the Philadelphia 76ers.
James Harden, who attended a team meeting Sunday, did not show up for the 76ers’ practice Wednesday as expected and no one knows for sure if he plans on playing in any preseason games or even regular season games.
The star guard really wants to be traded, but if he decides to sit out to make it happen, it could prove costly.
“James Harden could be subjected to a $389,082 fine for every preseason and regular season game he misses without the consent of the team. The fine would fall under “failure to render services”. There’s also a minimal fine (starting at $2500)for missing practice.”
If you do the math, you’ll notice that it only takes three missed games for Harden to be in for over $1-million in fines. And with no end to this saga in sight, things could get real ugly as his tab adds up quick.
Since opting into his $35.6 million player option, Harden has been attempting to force a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. A deal doesn’t appear particularly close to happening, and Harden’s no-show at Wednesday’s practice reportedly wasn’t anticipated by the Sixers.
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The presumption is that Harden’s no-show on Wednesday is part of his strategy to end up on the Clippers.
This situation has left the Sixers in a weird state of limbo heading into the 2023-24 season, as one of their key players may or may not play. If he is forced to do so, there is no way to know if he may give a full effort.
This is not ideal for a defending MVP like Embiid.
