When Will James Harden Make 76ers’ Debut? Guard Won’t Play Before All-Star Game

It’s been a few days since James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, but the guard isn’t close to suiting up for his new team. Philadelphia announced Monday that Harden will be sidelined at least through Sunday’s 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

The news means that Harden will miss two more games, at minimum. The 76ers host the Boston Celtics Tuesday and visit the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday before getting eight days off. Philadelphia resumes play on Friday, Feb. 25, with a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Harden won’t play in Sunday’s All-Star Game as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury. There’s a good chance he’ll return when Philadelphia starts its post-All-Star schedule.

When the Brooklyn Nets sent Harden to Philadelphia just hours before the Feb. 10 trade deadline, Harden had missed the previous three games. There was speculation that Harden only didn’t play because he was trying to force his way out of Brooklyn. In his last game, Harden played uncharacteristically poorly, scoring four points in 37 minutes on Feb. 2.

Hamstring troubles plagued Harden last season. The injury forced him to sit over a month during the regular season, and he missed half of Brooklyn’s second-round playoff series with the ailment.

Through 56 games, the 76ers are the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is 2.5 games out of the No. 1 seed. The 76ers have a 2.5-game edge over the No. 7 seed Toronto Raptors.

By trading for Harden, Philadelphia became one of the NBA’s top championship contenders. Harden joins a team that is led by MVP favorite Joel Embiid. Embiid is averaging a league-high 29.5 points per game.

Harden’s 10.2 assists per game are good for second in the NBA. The 32-year-old is averaging 22.5 points and 8 rebounds in 44 contests.

Ben Simmons was the best player that Brooklyn received in the Harden trade. Simmons hasn’t played all season long, and it’s unknown when he’ll make his debut for the Nets.

Brooklyn is scheduled to visit Philadelphia on March 10.