Everyone knows about James Harden getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets this season. James Harden got what he wanted: a chance to play on a superteam in Brooklyn. However, the return the Houston Rockets got for James Harden wasn’t the best one that they could have gotten.
The Houston Rockets have already been roasted by fans for what they got after trading away James Harden. A few games from Victor Oladipo, some role players, and late first-round picks aren’t exactly a top-tier return for a superstar, considering that the Houston Rockets had other offers on the table. One of the trade packages that the Houston Rockets declined was from the Philadelphia 76ers. The package featured Ben Simmons among other assets, and there were reports that the Philadelphia 76ers were sure that a deal could be reached.
Obviously, James Harden is now on the Brooklyn Nets. The Houston Rockets are in dire straits and are 14th in the Western Conference. A player like Ben Simmons would help them win some games right about now. Bill Simmons of The Ringer has recently blasted the Houston Rockets for the return that they got for the Brooklyn Nets when they could have potentially had Ben Simmons. Ben Simmons is one of the best defenders in the league, and he would have been a great player to acquire when trading away your superstar.
If I was a Rockets fan, I would be outraged. They could have had Ben Simmons. They could have had a real guy who is a top 25 guy that can be the best or second best player on a perennial contender… If I was a Houston Rockets fan, I’d be f*cking outraged that I could have had Simmons, Maxey and a couple firsts, versus the s*it sandwich that I got.
The Rockets are entering a rebuilding stage, and their rebuild could have been made a lot easier if they had a potential franchise cornerstone like Ben Simmons. The picks may never amount to anything, but draft picks aren’t guaranteed to become stars. The Houston Rockets are in a bad situation, and Ben Simmons could have easily made their franchise much better.
