Rockets star James Harden did not participate in Houston’s first practice of training camp on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas said Harden was expected to have an individual workout on Sunday, but he hadn’t had recent contact with him. Harden did not hold his workout but told the team he would report soon.
Harden made posts on his Instagram over the weekend attending the birthday party of rapper Lil Baby in Atlanta without wearing a face mask, according to MacMahon. Silas said he was looking forward to Harden’s return once the eight-time All-Star completed the league’s quarantine and testing protocols.
“I would just say I want him here, and I want him to be a big part of what we’re doing,” Silas said. “I’m excited to coach him and have him be a part of what we just had out there with a good practice, with a bunch of guys who are working hard on both ends of the floor and had a good vibe about them.”
The Rockets are reportedly evaluating their options with regards to trading Harden. One possible suitor is the Nets, though the two sides have not had formal discussions yet. According to MacMahon, Silas did not answer questions about Harden’s commitment to the team.
“That’s a question you’re going to have to ask him when he gets here,” Silas said. “We’re looking forward to having him here and getting to his individual workout. That’s the word I heard from the pipeline. Once he gets here, obviously the best communication for me would be face-to-face communication—not text, not phone, not anything else. I’m looking forward to him getting here, getting in the building, and then we can talk about what’s best. But you know, that’s kind of a work in progress right now.”
