The Opening Tip

• Ben Simmons looks better than he has in years
• Brazilian fan pages are causing havoc on Twitter
• Why is Miles Bridges still in the league?
• But first …

1. James Harden is a Clipper

James Harden got traded to the Clippers early this morning for a bunch of role players and two first-round picks, which the 76ers can now use to go biggish-game hunting this season.

Honestly, it’s a pretty good haul, considering Philly was trying to trade an aging superstar with a year left on his deal. 

• The big picture, though, isn’t about the 76ers or even the Clippers, who now have one more unreliable star set to hit free-agency next summer.
• It’s about Harden, who must now be considered the greatest malcontent in the history of the NBA, a generational dispatcher of mopery who cuts no corners in his never-ending quest to be somewhere -- anywhere -- besides the title-contending team he’s currently on. 

He’s now demanded three trades in three years. Each time, he’s gotten exactly where he’s wanted to go, without a no-trade clause. You also must consider the people he’s left: Top 15-ish player ever Kevin Durant and reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

And now … he’s off to join Kawhi, Paul George and Russell Westbrook (for a third go-around). Surely, things will work this time.

2. Daily GIF: Ben Simmons is a little bit back

One pleasant surprise from the first week of the NBA: Ben Simmons is definitely a little bit back.

He’s played and started all three games for the Nets, and still gets a little deer-in-the-headlights around the basket, but is doing Simmons-y things like the pass above.

3. Trivia time

Last night, LeBron passed Kevin Willis for ninth most games played all-time (1,425). Who’s No. 1 on that list?

Answer at the bottom.

4. Brazilian Twitter fan pages are out of control

A great pleasure of ours is indulging in the strange depths of NBA content on Twitter. (You might remember us getting months of content out of a Yuta Watanabe fan account.)

We’ve recently found a new muse, though: Brazilian team fan pages.

• We’ve followed this Celtics account forever, which is batshit crazy in its own right.  
• But, on Saturday, the Brazilian Timberwolves fan page posted something so bizarre it couldn’t be ignored. 

Ready? Here’s the post, which we can modestly describe as an animated video of a big wolf repeatedly suck--you know what, nevermind, just watch it yourself. 

• It’s been viewed 61M times so far and has been acknowledged by the Timberwolves’ actual account and active NBA players alike.

Since, the account’s following number has swelled to 57K, the most of any Brazilian fan page account, as far as we can tell.

The admin hasn’t let it get to his head, though. Last night, he was back to tweeting Timberwolves doom.

5. The Charlotte Hornets are trying to start a team of all really bad people

The Charlotte Hornets are employing an unusual strategy this season: Rostering a team where everyone is a bad person.

They just waived Kai Jones, who is having some issues; they just drafted Brandon Miller, who; and they are about to welcome back Miles Bridges, who’s certifiably awful. 

• He missed all of last season after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge, which took place in front of his children. Here are the details.  
• Earlier this month, he turned himself in after an arrest warrant for violating a protection order, in which he threw ‘a billiard ball at his ex-girlfriend’s car’ while her and his two kids were in it. 

Related: Chuck grilled Adam Silver about this issue on opening night.

6.  Quick Hits

• Luke Doncic through three games, all wins: 39/11.7/9.7 on 55.6/48.6 percent shooting
• The Grizzlies are off to an 0-4 start. Only 21 games until Ja Morant comes back. 
• Now in DC, Jordan Poole is free to do things like this.
• Folks, we found this year’s nominee for worst possession of all-time. 
• The NBA will have special courts for every team for its in-season tournament.

7.  Reads

• Inside Ja Morant's 18-month downfall [ESPN]
• The LeBron James maintenance era is here [The Ringer]

Trivia answer: Robert Parish (1,611)