James Harden vowed he would never play for a franchise run by 76ers team president Daryl Morey.
The Sixers learned Harden really may stick to his word, after the disgruntled guard skipped Philadelphia’s entire preseason slate in the wake of his trade demand. Harden — officially away because of a personal matter — did not practice with the Sixers this week and the three-time NBA scoring champion was not at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night for the finale against Atlanta.
Harden’s No. 1 jersey still hung at the arena — only on sale at team stores for $139.
The Sixers are set to open their season Thursday against Milwaukee. They play at Toronto before the Oct. 29 home opener against Portland. Coach Nick Nurse, in his first season after five years with Toronto, is preparing for games without Harden.