Injury Report: James Harden Expected to Make 76ers Debut on Friday

James Harden is expected to debut in Philadelphia 76ers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves matchup

Jesse D. Garrabrant | Credit: NBAE via Getty Images

While James Harden's Philadelphia 76ers debut was delayed until after the All-Star Break, it looks as if he will indeed be playing in the team's first game back from the break. Both Daryl Morey and Joel Embiid indicated that Friday night's game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves will be when James Harden makes his Sixers debut.

When asked in an appearance on the All-Star Game broadcast if Harden would be debuting on Friday, Joel Embiid said, "That's the plan." Philadelphia 76ers General manager Daryl Morey also indicated the same, when he sent out this Tweet on Sunday night:

Find out Friday @Timberwolves https://t.co/T4HteGUN38

— Daryl Morey 🗽🏀 (@dmorey) February 21, 2022

Harden has been sidelined with what the team was calling left hamstring tightness. This is the same injury that kept Harden out for the final games of his Brooklyn Nets tenure; however, it seems as if the injury absence was much more convenient than legitimate. It was clear weeks before Harden was moved that his relationship with teammates and organization members had tarnished, making his injury absence a necessary separation for both sides as a trade was finalized.

Harden will now have an opportunity to pursue a championship with the Philadelphia 76ers, after failing to do so with the Brooklyn Nets. A combination of injuries and dysfunction ultimately derailed the possibility of Brooklyn's Big-3 raising a banner; however, both the Nets and 76ers maintain those same aspirations following their trade deadline swap. For Philadelphia, it looks is if the Harden era is just days away from officially beginning.

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