76ers guard James Harden is not expected to play in the team’s season opener on Thursday night against the Bucks, prompting the NBA to look into his absence.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league plans to investigate whether Philadelphia and Harden are in violation of the NBA’s new player participation policy which was adopted ahead of the ‘23-‘24 season.
The league’s participation policy, which aims to ensure star players are more regularly present for big games in the era of load management, grants teams an exception for injuries, personal reasons, and “rare and unusual circumstances.”