Sixers Update: James Harden finally returns to team’s practice facility after 10-day absence, not expected to play on 2-game road trip

Now that the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2023 World Series run came to an abrupt ending last night in Game 7, we’ll start to give some attention to our beloved Philadelphia 76ers and the annoyance that is James Harden.

After being away from the Philadelphia 76ers for the last 10 days, Shams Charania reported this morning that James Harden is back to the team today ahead of tomorrow night’s season opener against the Bucks in Milwaukee.

James Harden returns to Philadelphia 76ers practice facility

BREAKING ‼️@ShamsCharania reports that after 10 days away, James Harden has returned to the Philadelphia 76ers practice facility today.@ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 | @MichelleDBeadle | @FanDuelTV

📺: https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7 pic.twitter.com/4vS88xdz1b

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 25, 2023

Shams expanded on his report shortly after, stating that James Harden will be in a “ramp-up phase” with the Sixers after being away the last 10 days and will NOT travel with the team to Milwaukee or on Saturday in Toronto for Game 2 of the 2023-24 season against the Raptors.

Note: The Philadelphia 76ers home opener is October 29th against the Portland Trail Blazers.

James Harden to miss at least the first two games of the season

James Harden returned to Philadelphia on Tuesday night with his bags packed to join team on the road for Thursday vs. Bucks and Saturday vs. Raptors, but the 76ers have now asked him not to travel with the team, sources said. https://t.co/N7GONkU6l9

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 25, 2023

Well, I guess we can credit the 76ers for putting their foot down with Harden and not going along with his antics that he’s been spewing out into the basketball void ever since the Sixers lost to the Celtics in the second round of last year’s playoffs, right?

As I’m sure you know, Harden has been doing everything possible to force his way out of Philadelphia after he exercised his $35.6-million player option for 2023-24 with the reported intention of being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Clearly, that never happened, which started an on-going feud with Daryl Morey while Harden, lacking self-awareness, and failing to realize that no one in Philadelphia cared about his situation anyways.

Since Harden hasn’t practiced with the Sixers since October 15th, the plan is to allow him to stay at the Camden practice facility and work with team development staff to get the live-action necessary to get him playing once the Sixers return from Milwaukee-Toronto trip, presumably in the home opener.

With that said, we do have some intel on what the Sixers starting lineup could look like. Head coach Nick Nurse spoke with the media on Tuesday and mentioned the starting five appears likely to be Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, and Joel Embiid.

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Joel Embiid on the state of the Sixers

“I think everybody understands that we have a job to do, and we’re here to win,” Embiid said Monday night following the Sixers’ preseason win over the Hawks. “The moment that we’re not on the same page, then that becomes a problem. But I think everybody’s on the same page.