Will James Harden Make His Sixers Debut This Weekend?

The Philadelphia 76ers wanted to make a splash at the trade deadline on Thursday. Daryl Morey, who's been known to make blockbuster deals throughout his time with the Houston Rockets, made his biggest trade as the Sixers' President of Basketball Operations on Thursday afternoon.

Although it took a lot of wheeling and dealing with the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers were able to land the high-prized guard James Harden. They will also get the veteran forward Paul Millsap from Brooklyn as well.

In order to acquire Harden, the Sixers sent away Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond along with several draft picks. The trade was officially finalized on Thursday night, as the Sixers announced it's a done deal.

When Will Harden Make His Debut?

Once the Sixers traded for Harden, it came as no surprise that fans were excited to see the pairing of Harden and Joel Embiid get on the court together.

When will that happen? While it's unclear at the moment, we do know one thing: James Harden will not make his Sixers debut this weekend.

On Friday night, the Sixers host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then on Saturday, they'll face the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. According to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, Harden will not suit up for either of those games.

A team official also confirmed to @thephillyvoice that Harden is not expected to play this weekend. He’ll arrive in Philly area this weekend and will be evaluated by the Sixers’ performance staff at that time
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) February 11, 2022

Per Neubeck's report, Harden is expected to arrive in Philadelphia this weekend. Before he takes the court, he will have to be evaluated by the Sixers medical staff.

Lately, Harden's been battling hamstring issues. While there was some speculation his frustrations with the Nets caused him to miss some games lately, it's necessary to note that Harden hasn't played since February 4 and was slated to miss his fourth straight game due to hamstring tightness.

With Harden out for the next two games, the earliest the Sixers guard could return to the floor is on Tuesday when the Sixers host the Boston Celtics.

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