NBA investigating circumstances around James Harden not traveling with 76ers

James Harden made a surprising appearance at the airport fixed base operator where the Philadelphia 76ers were preparing to board a plane for their upcoming road trip. However, security intervened and informed Harden, as previously discussed, that the team wanted him to stay in Philadelphia and focus on his conditioning after being away from the team for 10 days, as reported by John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The NBA is now investigating whether this situation violates the league’s new player participation policy, which was originally reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and has been confirmed by the league office.

Harden had not played in a preseason game since October 7 and had been away from the team for personal reasons. The 76ers were being cautious with Harden, considering his history of hamstring issues, and wanted to ensure that he was fully prepared to return to the court. While Harden wanted to travel and work out with the team, the 76ers believed that he would be better off training at the team’s practice facilities under the guidance of his usual coach. Additionally, keeping Harden in Philadelphia would help minimize distractions and media scrutiny.

The NBA’s player participation policy requires that healthy All-Star players not be benched for nationally televised games, like the matchup against the Bucks, and if they cannot play, they must be present in the arena. The 76ers are in violation of the latter part of the policy by keeping Harden in Philadelphia. However, they argue that he can regain his conditioning faster by training at the team facilities.

All of this unfolds against the backdrop of Harden’s trade demand. He expressed his desire for a trade back in July, specifically mentioning his preference for the Clippers. Harden also criticized Sixers president Daryl Morey, calling him a “liar” and stating that he would not play for any team led by Morey. Despite ongoing trade rumors, the Clippers have currently halted their pursuit of Harden, leaving the trade situation at a standstill for now.

The only way this dynamic may change is if Harden performs well on the court, but that cannot happen until next week, at the earliest.