Is James Harden playing for Sixers in preseason game vs Hawks? Latest update on Philadelphia star's availability

James Harden remains a member of the Philadelphia 76ers even with the present tension between him and team president Daryl Morey ahead of this season. Harden has been practicing with the team but didn't play in Philadelphia's two preseason games last week.

Is James Harden playing for the Sixers in the preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks? According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, the 10-time all-star is "hoping" to play for that matchup on Friday.

Note that the 76ers are playing on Monday night at the Brooklyn Nets.

Pompey also reported that James Harden is "ramping up" his workout routines ahead of his first 2023 preseason appearance. This is promising news for 76ers fans with the notion that Harden is choosing to participate in the team's preparation for the upcoming season.

Before the start of the preseason, there were discussions around the league that Harden might end up with the LA Clippers before the season. However, no deal has materialized. Harden's preferred destination is with the Clippers, as reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania.

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Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse talks about James Harden's progress during practice

Speaking of Harden "ramping up" his routines, Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse talked about how the All-Star has been working hard each day during practices, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.

"He's been really good at practice," Nurse said. "I know he's working extremely hard almost every night. I know the workouts at night are really intense, as well. We are just doing it day by day. That's it."

Nurse's comments were mirrored by James Harden's teammate, guard Tyrese Maxey on "The Old Man & The Three" podcast.

"I mean, first of all, I'll give a shoutout to James, because he didn't make it weird at all," Maxey said. "He came in, and he was very, like, it's not what I was expecting. He was very, like, receptive. He worked hard. He did all the drills. He was talking to, even, like, young guys that he didn't know."

Similar to what Nurse said about James Harden's workouts, Maxey said that despite the ongoing friction with Daryl Morey, Harden remained professional when it was time to practice with the team.