Joel Embiid, Sixers Respond to James Harden Missing Practice

The biggest story coming out of Philadelphia 76ers' practice Wednesday had nothing to do with the practice itself. Instead, it was about James Harden, who was not in attendance as he continued to seek out a trade.

James Harden is a no show at Philadelphia 76ers practice today, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Harden has not been present with the team since Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 18, 2023

As expected, head coach Nick Nurse and the rest of the Sixers were asked to speak on Harden's absence after practice. First up was Joel Embiid, who gave a troll-esq answer before quickly shifting gears.

"He wasn't here today, so obviously, I think he probably had something important to do or something came up," Embiid said. "The guys know what it is. I've always gone on the floor and tried to lead by example by playing hard and pushing myself and pushing them."

Next to speak on it was Danny Green, one of the many Sixers who was on the roster during the Ben Simmons saga two years ago. Having been through something like this in the past, he and the rest of the team are looking to keep the focus on basketball and improving as a collective.

“We’ve been through it before, so it is something we are familiar with," Green told reporters Wednesday. "The guys that are here, we’re here to practice, we’re here to work on what we need to work on to get better, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on since day one. As professionals, we have a lot of vets here. Guys know how to do their job.”

The Sixers have minimal time to worry about this, with the regular season right around the corner. They have one more preseason game this week before heading to Milwaukee to kick off the year against the new-look Bucks.