Why the Trade Benefits the Houston Rockets
For the Houston Rockets, Russell Westbrook is now gone and James Harden could be next. If a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers ends up being the best route for the Rockets in a potential Harden trade, it likely would need to feature Ben Simmons.
The Rockets’ downfall last season was attempting to play small ball and shoot three’s at a historic rate. They might look to go in a different direction since it is clear that their current style is not helping win championships. This means completely blowing up the roster but this deal would help them rebuild quickly.
Simmons would be able to play off the ball with Wall at point, which might make him more effective. They would also add two strong rotation players along with NBA Draft capital. It could be tricky with Christian Wood and DeMarcus Cousins, but this would be a long-term oriented move.
The Rockets would go from Harden and Westbrook to Wall and Simmons. This is a combination that might work better during the course of a season and towards postseason time.
