CAMDEN, N.J. — James Harden's Sixers debut is not expected to happen over the weekend, a team source confirmed Friday to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
PhillyVoice's Kyle Neubeck first reported the news.
Harden will arrive in Philadelphia this weekend and be assessed by the Sixers' performance staff, the source said. The 32-year-old missed the Nets' final three games with left hamstring tightness before Thursday's trade that sent Ben Simmons to Brooklyn and gave Joel Embiid a teammate with 10 All-Star selections.
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The Sixers recalled Paul Reed and Jaden Springer for Friday night's game in Philadelphia against the Thunder. Shake Milton (back contusion) and Tyrese Maxey (right hamstring tightness) were listed as questionable.
Milton's status is unequivocally positive news. A regular rotation player the past two and a half seasons when healthy, Milton suffered his back injury on Jan. 3 against the Rockets. He said on Jan. 19 that he experienced spasms and tightness in the days following the injury. With the Sixers still light on backup ball handlers after the Harden trade, Milton's return to action could be significant.
Whenever he debuts, the Sixers are obviously excited about the prospect of Harden taking the floor. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday morning that Harden wanted a trade to the Sixers.
However, there's a detail to clarify regarding his future: Harden did not pick up his player option of approximately $47.4 million for the 2022-23 season on Thursday, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia, as PhillyVoice first reported. (The Athletic reported that he'd opted in Thursday.) There's confidence from both Harden and the Sixers that he'll be in Philadelphia long term, per the source; that he didn't opt in Thursday is not a concern for the team.
NBA
After playing Oklahoma City, the Sixers will host the Cavs Saturday and the Celtics Tuesday before visiting Milwaukee on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break. The team sits fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, three games back of the first-place Heat.