The James Harden-Sixers saga has taken another crazy turn.
As the NBA world waits with bated breath to see if or when Harden takes the court for Philadelphia this season, more light has been shed on him not traveling with the team on its season-opening road trip starting in Milwaukee.
Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes broke the news that Harden arrived for the team flight, but was “stopped by a security official who notified him that he was not permitted to accompany the team.”
The report indicated that head coach Nick Nurse and general manager Elton Brand told Harden it was the team’s plans for him to work out at the practice facility, where the organization can be “monitoring his measurables and speed with their tracking system.”
Harden was reportedly “frustrated” by this development, but did not escalate the situation.
The former NBA MVP had vowed this offseason never to play for the Sixers again, calling team president Daryl Morey a “liar,” presumably intimating that Morey — who he’d previously had a great relationship with from their time together in Houston — had promised him either a trade or long-term contract extension.
Neither has materialized.
While there have been talks between the Sixers and Clippers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that the Clippers have walked away from trade discussions “at least for the foreseeable future.”
Harden had missed a number of the Sixers’ practices recently, as the team cited personal reasons for his absence.
NBA reporter Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported Tuesday that Harden had been tending to his mother, who is ill.
Last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.