Ben Simmons has yet to play for the Nets, may not in the regular season. It is a legitimate bummer.
But down in Philly, James Harden, while playing, has been disappointing. This week alone, Chris Mannix, echoing a number of league sources, told Bill Simmons podcast that there are some in the organization who would rather not give the 32-year-old a full, quarter-billion dollar extension beyond this season. (If you add this season to the extension, the total Philly tab for Harden would amount to $$314,490,834 through 2026-27, including $61,671,519 in that final year when Harden will be * checks notes * 37.