Nick Nurse Unsure if Harden, Other 76ers Will Play vs. Celtics

When the 76ers face the Celtics on Sunday for their preseason opener, there could be a few absences for the visitors, including James Harden.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers will make a return to TD Garden for the first time since they came up short against the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. It will mark the first game the Sixers will compete in under new head coach Nick Nurse.

However, don’t take too much stock into the matchup, as the rotations could look a lot different when the Sixers battle it out against the Celtics on Sunday compared to the regular season.

As expected with preseason, Nurse is unsure whether some players will get the opportunity to take the floor or not. Fortunately, the Sixers have avoided injuries so far through their four-day training camp in Colorado. Still, guys are ramping up, which could affect their playing status.

One of the key names to pay attention to at this point is the ten-time All-Star James Harden. As Harden is still in favor of receiving a trade, the guard wasn’t a full participant in Colorado this week. Although he did join his teammates after missing the first two days of team activities, Harden wasn’t considered a full participant until the final day on Friday.

When asked about Harden’s potential playing status in Boston, Nurse was unsure.

“I do not know,” he told reporters, according to ESPN. While Nurse didn’t name-drop anybody else, he surely teased the idea that there could be some rest coming some players’ way.

“I think that we still got a number of people that we’re trying to kind of ramp up to get to Sunday, so I don’t know how that’ll go yet,” Nurse continued. “We certainly got another day [of practice in Boston] tomorrow, and I think tomorrow will be a hard-working, physical day. It’s training camp, so you don’t really kind of pare down going into that stuff. We’re still into getting after it and competing tomorrow, so have to see how everybody comes out after that and see where we are.”

Harden’s status with the Sixers could change on a day-by-day basis. While the team is actively looking to facilitate a trade to satisfy Harden, it’s unclear if and when the Sixers will stumble across a deal that’s desirable enough for them to pull the trigger. Harden’s patient and playing ball right now, but there’s a chance he’s doing so on borrowed time.

The star guard is no stranger to playing through an active trade request. Back when he wanted a change of scenery as a member of the Houston Rockets, Harden competed in preseason games and a handful of regular season matchups. Eventually, he was shut down until a trade was made.

Two years later, Harden’s time with the Brooklyn Nets ended similarly. While he appeared in over 40 regular season games, the Nets eventually reached a point of no return. Granted, Harden was battling a hamstring setback at the time, but he clearly lacked motivation in Brooklyn, which caused the Nets to accept the situation and move on by making a trade with the Sixers.

There is a good chance Harden could suit up for the 76ers again — but it’s no guarantee he’ll make an appearance on the court at TD Garden this weekend.