The ongoing saga of James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers has taken another twist as Harden has been missing the team activities for over a week now. Harden a key player for the Sixers remains away from the team for unknown personal reasons and recent reports suggest that the New York Knicks are looking to acquire Joel Embiid. Fans and analysts are left in the dark about what will be the 76ers’ next move.
Recently, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse revealed that he has been in contact with Harden while he is on leave. Speaking to the media, Nurse said, “I did reach out to him the other day just via text like I would with anybody. Just seeing how he’s doing and if he’s alright and he did text me back.” He did not reveal any details of their talk, Nurse added that he was just ensuring the well-being of the guard and there was no discussion regarding his future availability with the team.
#Sixers coach Nick Nurse on reaching out to James Harden: “I did reach out to him the other day … just via text like I would with anybody. See how he’s doing. See if he’s alright. He did text me back.”
On if the exchange gave Nurse a sense that Harden wanted to return? “Didn’t… pic.twitter.com/OxsofMLtTO
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) October 23, 2023
Sixers have their regular season opening match on 26 Oct at 7:30 PM (ET) against the Milwaukee Bucks. But Harden doesn’t seem concerned about this as his status for the game remains in doubt. This uncertainty around his availability was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, intensifying the excitement of the game.
Nick Nurse and the Sixers are prepared to play without James Harden
In the middle of confusion surrounding Harden’s return, the 76ers are preparing for a challenging start to the season. In the season opener, the Sixers will face the Bucks star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. After this match, the Sixers will travel to Toronto and then to Philadelphia for their home opener against Portland on October 29.
The only person who is unbothered by the absence of the three-time NBA scoring champion is the Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse. Nurse is in his first season with the 76ers after a successful tenure with the Toronto Raptors and he’s adapting to this challenging situation by planning lineups without Harden.
“I think I’ve been preparing for it all this week, for sure,” Nurse said. “There is another plan if something changes. I don’t think it’s affected us very much, at all, We’ve just gone out and played, and we’re going to have to go out play the way we’re trying to play.
Nick Nurse evaluates Joel Embiid’s return after Sixers beat Hawks https://t.co/8VSYPmQiuu pic.twitter.com/oitZXjVkp8
— Sixers Wire (@SixersWire) October 21, 2023
Things have become more complicated because Harden previously stated that he would not be a part of any team where the Sixers’ team president Daryl Morey is present. Harden’s noticeable absence in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Hawks raises questions about his future with the team.
