FILE – James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Photos/AFP
PHILADELPHIA — James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers added one other wrinkle to their messy relationship when the crew advised the disgruntled guard to remain dwelling as an alternative of touring for Thursday’s NBA season opener towards Milwaukee.
Harden — who issued an offseason commerce demand — didn’t play within the preseason and skipped apply final week for what was formally known as a private matter earlier than he confirmed up Wednesday on the crew’s complicated in Camden, New Jersey, able to play.
Coach Nick Nurse stated he was advised Tuesday evening that Harden had arrived on the town. Nurse stated Harden was concerned in apply early and late however not within the sport preparation half for the Bucks.
The opening matchup pits NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion Joel Embiid towards Milwaukee’s two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $186 million extension this week with the Bucks.
“Now we have to prepare for our sport tomorrow with the blokes which might be going to be enjoying,” Nurse advised reporters. “He’s been gone 10 days so we’re in ramp-up section once more. He’ll keep right here and get on-court work with our employees and with our gamers from the (G League) and our two-way guys and issues like that and attempt to get him ramped up as quickly as we will.”
Nurse stated Harden was “fantastic” with the choice. A part of Harden’s grievance stems from his perception he ought to have earned a long-term contract with the Sixers after final season. It by no means got here, thus he picked up the choice on his contract for this season with the expectation the 76ers would commerce him. That by no means materialized.
The 76ers play Saturday at Toronto, the crew Nurse led to the 2019 NBA championship, and play their dwelling opener Sunday towards Portland.
Nurse, in his first season in Philly, declined to decide to Harden enjoying in any of these video games.
“We’re most likely going to have to guage this within the subsequent couple of classes,” Nurse stated. “We simply must see what the knowledge tells us in two days.”
Harden was a late arrival to coaching camp and continued to apply with the 76ers early final month within the wake of the commerce demand. Harden stated the lone time he spoke at apply that his fractured relationship with crew president Daryl Morey couldn’t be repaired — evaluating it to a damaged marriage — and stated over the summer time that he couldn’t play for the 76ers.
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“My considerations proper now are actually going to be centered on the sport tomorrow evening,” Nurse stated. “That’s what I’ll proceed to do. If there are any considerations, if and once they come up, then we’ll deal with them. I actually suppose our guys they’re not very affected by it.”