James Harden's Playing Status vs. Chicago Bulls on Monday

For the last month, Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden has been dealing with hamstring tightness. Before Harden was Philly-bound gearing up to join the Sixers, he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets.

Harden sat out three-straight games after a rough outing in Sacramento due to hamstring tightness. Harden was slated to miss four in a row, but he was traded shortly after not traveling with the Nets.

When Harden arrived in Philly, he didn't start playing right away as many assumed he would. The ten-time All-Star missed two-straight games before he joined the team. And after finally getting introduced as Philadelphia's newest member, Harden was ruled out for two more games ahead of the All-Star break.

In addition, Harden missed the 2022 NBA All-Star game. After getting a couple of weeks off, the ten-time All-Star was finally cleared for action. Two Fridays ago, Harden made his 76ers debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He appeared in the following three games against the New York Knicks twice and the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday. Although Harden didn't suffer any setbacks in Friday's game against Cleveland, he suddenly popped up in the injury report the next day.

As a part of his treatment plan for his hamstring, Harden was ruled out for the second night of the back-to-back this past weekend. Therefore, Harden didn't get the nod to play against the Miami Heat.

Will Harden Play on Monday?

While it was unfortunate Harden sat out of a matchup against the Eastern Conference's top seed on Saturday, the good news is that Harden isn't dealing with anything significant that would keep him off the court for long.

Per the Sixers' Monday morning injury report, Harden is not listed. Therefore, he is available and expected to play on Monday night when the Sixers host the Chicago Bulls once again, barring any unexpected setbacks.

So far this season, the Sixers are undefeated when Harden plays. While Philadelphia has found success against Chicago pre-Harden earlier in the season, the 26 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds Harden brings to the table will indeed offer the Sixers an additional boost against the Bulls on Monday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.