James Harden Was Not Permitted on 76ers Team Flight: Social Media Reacts

As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to open their season with a marquee matchup against the new-look Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, they will do so without the services of star guard James Harden.

Harden demanded a trade this summer and has been increasingly confrontational with the team as weeks went by without a deal, but an already shallow pool of potential suitors seemingly dried up entirely recently when the Los Angeles Clippers reportedly pulled back from trade conversations for the time being.

That leaves Harden and the Sixers in the uncomfortable position of having to decide how to proceed. For both sides, allowing Harden to showcase his talents might expedite the process of moving him if a team was willing to take a chance on a talented player who seems chronically discontent, no matter the situation.

According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, the situation grew more tense on Wednesday. Per Haynes, Harden showed up to a team practice without warning after a lengthy absence due to a personal matter. For their part, the Sixers excused his absence but had no idea he planned to return, per Haynes. Team officials told Harden to stay in Philadelphia to train, which Harden reportedly took as a suggestion.

It wasn't a suggestion. When Harden showed up to board the team plane, a security official reportedly informed him he was not cleared to board. An affronted Harden reportedly left without further incident.

The idea of a star player showing up to a team plane and being told to turn around and head home was, of course, a little too good for social media to pass up. That was doubly the case for long-suffering Philadelphia fans who are ready to move on from the ugly Harden saga.

Harden's offseason hobbies might have familiarized him with this sort of thing.

Meanwhile, Liberty Ballers (SB Nation's 76ers site) is simply tired of all of this.

That sentiment is shared by Bomani Jones.

According to Haynes, the Sixers want Harden to ramp up away from the team. Harden's camp reportedly believes that's because his presence would be a distraction.

On Wednesday, 76ers coach Nick Nurse told reporters Harden was there for the start and finish of practice.

"He's been gone 10 days, so we are in ramp-up phase, again," Nurse said. "So he will, like we would normally do, he will stay here and get on-court work with our staff and with our players from the [G-League Delaware] Blue Coats, and our two-way guys and things like that. Try to get him ramped up as soon as we can."

When asked if the team has confidence that Harden will be able to remain with the team going forward without further interruption, Nurse said they will take things day by day.

"I think that confidence in anything in this situation of what's going to happen, we can all sit around and guess and talk about it every day, and we really don't know," Nurse said.

The Sixers and Bucks tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET.