76ers' James Harden Expected to Practice Tuesday; Conditioning Considered 'Positive'

As the James Harden saga continues to drag on in Philadelphia, it appears that the 76ers' star guard is getting closer to making his season debut.

Harden was present for the team's film session and walkthrough ahead of Sunday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers and coach Nick Nurse is expecting him back in practice Tuesday, according to The Philly Voice's Adam Aaronson.

"All signs are positive conditioning-wise," Nurse added.

Nurse is still hoping to get Harden into some live action after he didn't participate in any preseason or regular season games so far this year, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Harden's absence from the 76ers' season-opening road trip for games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors has prompted an investigation by the NBA to "determine whether an approved reason exists for his lack of participation," per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

With the league's new load management policy, teams need to make sure star players are available for nationally televised games if they are healthy. If rest is required, the players' attendance at the game is still required so fans can see them.

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported that the organization prevented Harden from getting on the team plane prior to its flight to Milwaukee. The decision came after the former league MVP had ben away from the team for 10 days and missed a practice in order to spend time in Houston.

Nurse and Philadelphia's coaching staff decided to keep him in Philadelphia so the team wouldn't be distracted, according to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill.

Harden and the organization's relationship has been tenuous since early in the offseason when he picked up his $35.6 million player option and then demanded a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 76ers and Clippers haven't gotten particularly close on completing a deal, only adding to the tension.

If Harden does practice Tuesday, he could potentially make his debut at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday against the Raptors.