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The James Harden saga in Philadelphia continues to unfold and fans are left baffled at the situation. He openly demanded a trade out of the team and refused to attend training camp, practice or any preseason game but is now back at the team facility after no trade materialized.
As such, there was intense speculation about whether he will lace up for the Sixers this season.
James Harden showed up at the airport before the Sixers' season opener against Milwaukee but was denied entry onto the team plane. Coach Nick Nurse and General Manager Elton Brand explained to Harden that staying in Philadelphia was the best course of action while the team was away on their road trip.
The 76ers play the Toronto Raptors tonight in Canada as part of their trip and Harden is not with the team. He is reportedly back at the facility and will not be seen on the bench or court.
Rumors suggest that he will lace up for their home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 29 but no confirmed reports have emerged. The team listed Harden as unavailable on the official injury report, stating that he needs to return to competition conditions.
He is listed on the report alongside Ricky Council IV, Javonte Smart and Terquavion Smith, who are all under two-way contracts with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers under investigation by the NBA for sidelining James Harden
ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the league is investigating whether the Philadelphia 76ers broke the new player participation rule by sidelining James Harden for their season opener.
As per the new rule, star players are expected to play at least 65 games to be considered eligible for any end-of-the-season awards or accolades. The NBA wants stars to take the regular season seriously, so they have implemented some rules on load and injury management.
The league doesn't want stars to miss road games, one or more stars to sit during a national TV game and doesn't want teams to sideline players during back-to-back matchups.
Harden's absence in Milwaukee for a national TV game may have violated the new rule. Reports have emerged that he was healthy enough to play and wanted to join the team on the road trip but was denied.
NBA spokesperson Michael Bass told ESPN before the 76ers-Bucks matchup:
"We are looking into the facts around James Harden's availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation."
The teams have been granted a few exceptions to sit players for big games such as injury, illness, serious personal reasons and unforeseen circumstances. The franchise will be fined $100,000 for the first offense with increasing penalties for further violations.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
