James Harden hoped to make the Sixers “uncomfortable” in order to secure the trade that he desperately wants as he no longer wants to play for general manager Daryl Morey.
The Sixers might have decided to reciprocate that feeling as Harden showed up at the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden, N.J., apparently surprising the team after a 10-day “excused absence” for a personal matter.
According to the latest report from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Harden joined in for parts of that practice session, and was told by Sixers officials that he should stay in Philly instead of joining the team for its road trip to Milwaukee and Toronto.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Harden was “fine” with the decision but he still showed up at the airport later on Wednesday to board the team flight. At that point, he was “stopped by a security official who notified him that he was not permitted to accompany the team,” according to Haynes.
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General manager Elton Brand and Nurse reportedly told Harden to keep working out at the Sixers’ facility, along with the two-way players, who wouldn’t be making the trip either. Harden was “frustrated” by the airport rejection and his camp believes that the team’s “priority is to eliminate a perceived potential distraction.”
Harden’s preferred destination is the Clippers, but no movement has happened as of yet. Harden’s offseason saw him pick up his $35.6 million player option with the expectation the 76ers would trade him. Once that did not happen, he called the president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar,” which led to a $100,000 fine from the league for “indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the NBA will investigate Harden’s availability for the 76ers’ season-opening road trip to “determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation.”
