Daryl Morey Hints James Harden's Sixers Debut Could Come vs. Timberwolves

Last week, the Philadelphia 76ers officially introduced two new acquisitions, James Harden and Paul Millsap, with an introductory press conference.

Hours after Millsap and Harden were introduced, the Sixers hosted the Boston Celtics for a Tuesday night matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

Millsap made his Sixers debut that night. James Harden, as expected, did not.

Although Harden was the honorary bell ringer for the Sixers ahead of their Celtics matchup last week, Harden didn't intend to play as he was ruled out last Monday until after the All-Star break.

During his introductory press conference, Harden revealed that his delayed debut was a collaborative decision between the Sixers' organization and himself.

Before getting traded to the Sixers from the Brooklyn Nets, Harden missed a few games due to hamstring tightness. While he was beginning to feel a lot better before the trade, Harden and the Sixers decided it would be best to take some additional time off to risk any further setbacks.

Since getting traded, Harden has missed matchups against Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Boston, and Milwaukee ever. He also sat out from the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which took place on Sunday night.

Early on last week, Harden hinted that his Sixers debut would come very soon after the All-Star break -- but he couldn't confirm an exact date. However, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey hinted that Friday was the day.

Daryl Morey's Hint

Although Harden wasn't playing in Sunday's All-Star Game, he was still in Cleveland for the festivities as he was getting honored for being on the NBA's 75th anniversary team.

On Sunday night, the Sixers' Twitter account posted a video of Harden partaking in a photoshoot for the 75th anniversary team. That's when Morey tweeted at the Minnesota Timberwolves Twitter account, letting them know they'll "find out Friday."

Morey's been cryptic with his tweets in the past, but this one isn't hard to figure out. The Sixers face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and that's their first game back from the All-Star break. 

It was always assumed that Harden would be ready to go right after the break, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise if he debuts then. But it was never actually confirmed if that would be the case or not. Morey's tweet is a pretty strong indication that Harden could take the floor in a Sixers uniform for the first time on Friday.

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