The James Harden trade drama has become an exhausting endeavor. But neither James Harden nor the Philadelphia 76ers have shown any restraint. Earlier, it was the 2018 MVP who refused to show up for work. Now the 76ers deny him work. This has put the whole league in confusion. The current Player Participation rules put an onus on the Franchises to ensure that their healthy superstars show up for national TV fixtures. The 76ers barred Harden from boarding the team flight to Milwaukee.

This fixture between the 76ers and the Bucks was shown on TNT, making it a national TV affair. The league’s new PPR now puts the burden on the 76ers to explain Harden’s absence. The NBA is now looking into the serious matter.

Will the NBA fine the 76ers for not fielding James Harden?

Now, the PPR applies to a team resting more than one star during a national fixture. In this case, Joel Embiid did play so the 76ers can’t be liable for Harden’s absence on that basis. However, the NBA wants to learn why the team didn’t field a superstar who didn’t have injury issues. The reports of the team not allowing him to board the team flight are what raised the league’s eyebrows.

This is why the NBA is now launching an investigation into the whole matter. NBA spokesperson Mike Bass revealed, “We’re looking into the facts around James Harden’s availability tonight to determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation”. It is clear that league Commissioner Adam Silver is serious about addressing the load management crisis.

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Because of the absurd reasoning behind the player’s availability, the 76ers can suffer a $100k fine for resting a star player without concrete reasons. This current investigation shows the league’s commitment to ensuring the presence of superstars. They appear to take exception to the whole Harden-76ers drama too. Not having last season’s assists-per-game leader in such circumstances is surely a big deal.

This is why the 76ers can be in line for a lot of fines if such instances continue.

Will the 76ers yield to the league?

The 76ers coach Nick Nurse revealed the team has hit the road. The team is set to play one road game against the Raptors but then return for a five-game home stretch. During this stretch, they will have a national TV game against the Toronto Raptors, playing them twice in a short period. If Harden misses this NBA TV fixture, then the 76ers can be slapped with a $250,000 fine. 

With James Harden’s Absence, What Is the Expected Starting Lineup for 76ers Against the Raptors?

And the fines only get aggressive from here. Suppose Harden keeps on missing these national fixtures without an injury-related reason. The fine jumps to $1 million from the third violation onward. Would the franchise afford to lose millions out of sheer ego?

This ego is mutual between the superstar guard and the franchise. Will both of them yield to each other and to the NBA to avoid fines?

Watch This Story: Staring Down the Barrel of $1.5 Million Blow, James Harden’s “Unexcused Absence” Is “Only the Beginning” in 76ers Drama, per Veteran Analyst