The Sixers must be getting sick of losing to the Celtics. After conceding a 3-2 lead to lose in seven games to the boys from Bean Town in the Eastern Conference Semis last season, they've kicked off the preseason with another two losses to Boston, the first by eight points and the second by 11 on Wednesday.

But a preseason loss is just that, and Nick Nurse and co won't exactly be in panic mode after those two defeats. Joel Embiid hasn't played, and they've got some good minutes into the legs of their new faces like Kelly Oubre Jr, as well as those returning.

Importantly, Tyrese Maxey has looked good as their primary ball-handler – or, wait, is that still important? The more time drags on the less clear it becomes what role Maxey will be playing in season 2023-24, which brings us to the main concern hovering over the Sixers' collective head in the lead-up to the season proper.

What is going on with James Harden?

Sixers, James Harden

A James Harden trade request has become something of an annual tradition in the NBA. When the 2018 MVP asked to be shipped out of Philadelphia after exercising his player option for the upcoming season back in June, it was the third time in a little over two years he'd made such a request.

But nearly four months later, a suitable return for the Sixers' guard has not been forthcoming. The Clippers have appeared to be the most likely candidate, but they've been unable to provide Philadelphia with what they want, with Terrance Mann seemingly off the table and offers more centered around future first round picks – and potentially other teams. They may still be able to find a happy middle ground, but the longer it drags on the more uncertainty there is for the 76ers heading into the new season.

Whether it's possible that no suitable agreement is reached and Harden returns to Philly isn't totally clear. He certainly burnt a few bridges in the offseason, and expressed an unequivocally worded intention to never again play for an organization he's a part of.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of,” Harden said a few months ago. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of.”

See? Pretty unequivocal.

He appears to be sticking to his guns, at least based on his absence from the Sixers training camp. But with time passing and Harden remaining on their roster, Nick Nurse recently expressed a desire to get him to suit up for a preseason game. It's hard to imagine him wanting to do that purely for the greater good of the next team he may play for, particularly given the risk of injury and subsequent hit to trade value, so perhaps he's still holding out some hope that The Beard kicks off the season in Philadelphia, and perhaps beyond.

Regardless, and despite Joel Embiid's recent comments to the contrary, it's a distraction heading into the season and makes planning for the year ahead very difficult. Even assuming Harden's absence, the Sixers can't properly plan because they don't know who or what they'll be getting in return.

It's not easy to develop a team when you don't know who is on it, and that's the situation that Nick Nurse finds himself in just a couple of weeks out from the season. For a team hoping to finish in the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference, the uncertainty surrounding the make-up of their roster so close to the beginning of the season is far from ideal.