Why is James Harden on bench, not playing tonight vs Trail Blazers? Explaining Sixers' DNP decision

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Why is James Harden on the bench and not playing tonight vs the Trail Blazers?

James Harden is set to sit out his third consecutive regular-season game as the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Portland Trail Blazers in their home opener. While Harden will be present at the game, he won't be in uniform.

NBA insider Shams Charania reported that James Harden will be on the bench despite completing the team’s pregame walkthrough.

According to reports, Harden had indicated an interest in joining the team for their first road games in Milwaukee and Toronto.

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However, the Sixers have exercised caution regarding his physical readiness to compete, given his prolonged absence from the team, and preferred him to be in improved condition before returning to play.

It remains uncertain when the Sixers will grant clearance for Harden to participate in their games.

During the summer, the 10-time All-Star made it clear multiple times that he favored a trade to the LA Clippers.

In August, Harden decided to exercise his $35.6 million option for this season, with the aim of working together with the Sixers to orchestrate a trade away from Philadelphia.

The situation escalated significantly when, at a marketing event in China, Harden openly labeled Sixers GM Daryl Morey as a "liar."

James Harden, Sixers under investigation by NBA

The NBA initiated an investigation to determine if the Sixers potentially violated the league's recently established player participation policy, as James Harden was absent during their nationally televised opening night game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

According to the NBA's revised player participation policy, teams are required to make sure that their key players are available for nationally televised games and those within the in-season tournament. Additionally, teams are encouraged to evenly distribute single-game absences for star players, with a preference for these absences to take place during home games.

Under the policy, a "star" is described as a player who has either been named an All-Star or has secured a position on an All-NBA team in the past three seasons. Harden was named an All-Star in 2022.

The policy makes allowances only for specific circumstances, such as injuries, personal reasons and pre-approved restrictions for back-to-back games, which are determined based on a player's age, career workload or significant injury history.

In the event of a first-time violation, a team may be subject to a $100,000 penalty. Subsequent breaches will result in higher fines.

According to a report on ESPN, NBA spokesperson Michael Bass was quoted as saying:

"We are looking into the facts around James Harden's availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation.”

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman
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