The standoff continues as James Harden misses Philadelphia 76ers practice

According to ESPN, the guard was initially anticipated to attend the practice, but this situation has become the latest episode in the ongoing standoff between both parties.

James Harden has been actively pursuing a trade away from his current team ever since he exercised his $35.6 million player option for the 2023/24 season. Just last week, he indicated the possibility of making his preseason debut at his home game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

However, despite his initial plans, sources informed ESPN that Harden has spent the past few days in Houston after participating in a team meeting in New York on Sunday.

This latest incident only contributes to the persistent drama surrounding Harden's future with the 76ers. Harden has consistently expressed his frustration at not being granted his desired trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, both teams have engaged in discussions over the past few days, but there remains a significant gap between them when it comes to negotiating a trade package.

It's worth noting that Harden had a close relationship with 76ers' President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, dating back to Morey bringing him to the Houston Rockets before the 2012/13 season.

However, that relationship has significantly deteriorated, with Harden publicly referring to Morey as a "liar" during a shoe event in China in August.

Harden reaffirmed on Friday that the damage to the relationship is irreparable, even avoiding mentioning Morey by name and instead referring to him as "the front office."He stated, "No, this is not just about this specific situation; this applies to life in general. When trust is lost in someone, it's akin to a broken marriage.

Me and the front office had a solid decade-long relationship with constant communication, but that changed after our playoff loss to Boston."

In the previous season, Harden maintained impressive averages of 21 points, 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game as the 76ers progressed to the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to lose to the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series.