NBA Analyst Suggests Intriguing Ben Simmons To Rockets Trade

Ben Simmons, Nets, Rockets, NBA Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to figure out this offseason following the sweep they endured at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. There will be a lot of attention given to Kyrie Irving, who could sign a five-year deal up to $245.6 million this offseason. Another big piece to watch will be Ben Simmons with a trade potentially being on the table, and the Houston Rockets might be a potential destination.

Are the Nets willing to commit that kind of money to a player who has been unable to stay on the court? His tenure in Brooklyn has been rocky, which is how you could describe the two seasons he spent with the Celtics and his last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before they traded him.

But, Irving did play in more games than Ben Simmons did this season. Simmons sat out the entire season as he worked on his mental health and dealt with a herniated disc in his back. There was some optimism that he would return to the court during the playoffs, but that never materialized.

Brooklyn took Simmons at his word about the pain he was having in his back, but he has been crushed by the media and people around the league are questioning it as well. How will the Nets handle that situation this offseason?

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They have shown that they are willing to make a move if they don’t believe a certain player is helping them on their quest to win a championship. That is truly all Kevin Durant cares about, as he signed off on parting ways with James Harden after acquiring him just a year prior.

Could Simmons experience the same fate? Trading him will be extremely difficult as he will go more than one calendar year between being on an NBA court. Teams don’t like trading for unknowns and at this point, no one knows what Simmons will bring to the table.

Over at The Ringer, a few trade ideas were brought up centered around Simmons. One of them involved the Houston Rockets, who were engaged in trade talks surrounding him previously. Could they revisit those talks this offseason?

“Perhaps a young team like Houston would revisit a Simmons trade since his trajectory is on the same timeline as Jalen Green. A package with some combination of Eric Gordon, Jae’Sean Tate, and Christian Wood with draft picks could provide Brooklyn with the necessary depth and versatility to make other moves.”

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If that kind of package was given to the Nets, they would accept it in a heartbeat. Getting any value for Simmons at this point would be surprising, but that is actually a haul.

All of the holes in their rotation would be filled by Christian Wood, Eric Gordon and Jae’Sean Tate, three versatile players that would fill in well behind Durant and Irving. Getting NBA Draft capital is just the cherry on top after Brooklyn sent seven draft picks to Houston as part of the Harden deal last year.

It would be surprising to see the Rockets do a deal like that, as they would be taking the ball out of their young players’ hands, such as the aforementioned Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. But, flipping a package that includes veterans Wood and Gordon for a 25-year old would normally be a no-brainer, but there is nothing simple about the Ben Simmons situation.

Expect to hear Simmons’ name early and often in the NBA rumors cycle this offseason. The Nets may not move him, but they likely won’t be opposed to that option either.

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