Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has not been with the team since Sunday, according to Shams Charania. Harden did not report to the team’s practice Wednesday with about a week left before the 2023-24 regular season begins, suggesting he might be willing to hold out as his trade demand continues to stall. Harden opted into his deal for the upcoming season with the understanding he would be traded, preferably to the Los Angeles Clippers. There have been minimal talks on a deal, which has led to the star pouting even as he trains with the team.
James Harden is a no show at Philadelphia 76ers practice today, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Harden has not been present with the team since Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2023
With fantasy basketball drafts underway and many expected to take place this weekend ahead of the season, how should managers approach Harden with this trade demand looming and his no-show causing a stir?
Harden’s current ADP on ESPN is 45.1. The DK Network point guard rankings has Harden as the 11th point guard and 31st overall player. There’s a clause in the CBA which the Sixers are unlikely to actually use but could to prevent Harden from playing basketball in the future if he doesn’t honor his current contract. The guard is unlikely to completely hold out but Philadelphia can’t play him in games if he doesn’t show up at all.
Harden did say he enjoys Nick Nurse’s leadership and does want to play basketball, so this may just be a question of him not going 100% to show he still wants to be traded. I expect Harden to play minimally until the 76ers can find a deal. They ultimately will, and we should see a motivated Harden once he does get dealt. For fantasy managers, there could be a rough few weeks where Harden doesn’t give them much production. However, he’s still worth drafting in the middle rounds due to his upside as a high-usage guard.