Is James Harden playing tonight against Orlando Magic? Latest update on star guard after Clippers trade (October 31)

James Harden has finally landed in Los Angeles. Rumors of Harden joining the Clippers have been gaining momentum ever since he opted into his final-year contract with the 76ers. Now that he has joined the Clippers, questions about his debut are raging.

Ramona Shelburne from ESPN reported that there is a chance that Harden could be in attendance on Tuesday when the Clippers face the Orlando Magic at the Crypto.com Center. However, since there are other details and paperwork to be finished before the trade is fully cleared, Harden will not be playing against the Magic tonight.

Harden has reportedly been waiting to join forces with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George since June and he now has his wish. This is arguably the best team Harden has been in in his quest for his maiden championship.

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Is James Harden playing on Wednesday?

While Ramona Shelburne has made it clear that James Harden will not be playing against the Magic on Tuesday, there is a chance that "The Beard" could be in a Clippers jersey soon.

Once the formalities of the deals have been worked out, Harden should be eligible to suit up. Harden could suit up for the Clippers’ game against rivals Los Angeles Lakers. If he doesn’t play against the Lakers, he will likely be ready to go against the New York Knicks. After the Clippers' game against the Lakers, they have a gap of four days before they play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks game is James Harden's likeliest debut date for the Clippers. It is not clear what sort of shape he will be in when he joins the Clippers, having remained out of action so far. If he needs a few days to get up to speed, the Knicks game offers him that time.