Rockets Land Scoring Guard in Proposed Mock Trade to Address Glaring Need

Would he move the needle?

Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) goes to the basket Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are in dire need of an on-ball playmaking guard. Recent losses against the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings drive the point home. 

Amen Thompson has the will to fill the void but it's simply not his skillset. A point guard would make life easier for him, too.

Sure, he played the position during his prep school and amateur days but the level of competition was much lower. As was the speed of the game.

Kevin Durant has been given some of those responsibilities, which is even worse, as he's not a good passer. Especially when getting trapped and/or blitzed (which seems like it's always happening at half court). 

The Rockets also rank bottom-ten in passes per game.

One name that was thrown out in a recent mock trade proposal is Anfernee Simons, the Boston Celtics guard.

Before delving into the writer's logic, let's first note that Simons is not a floor general. Not by any stretch of the imagination. 

He's a scoring guard. A score-first guard, at that.

With that being said, he could help attack the recent trend Houston has seen, in which Kevin Durant gets double-teamed, leaving Houston with 4-on-3 mismatches that they've been unable to exploit.

The writer, Bailey Bassett, explained their reasoning. 

"While Reed Sheppard has filled in admirably for VanVleet, and Amen Thompson is capable of taking on lead ball-handling duties, the Rockets should still pursue another guard. Simons just so happens to be one of the hottest names in the trade market."

Bassett continued. 

"Durant is 37 years old. Although he seemingly has plenty left in the tank, he won’t be able to remain one of the best players in the NBA forever. That fact should have Houston in win-now mode. Not only will VanVleet likely not be able to contribute this year, but there is a case to be made that Simons would be the better player going forward, regardless.....He is talented enough to operate as a lead scoring option, so he could make a big impact after Durant’s inevitable retirement. In the meantime, Simons could take on a smaller but important role as the Rockets try to push for a championship."

The writer's proposed deal would send Fred VanVleet and Jeff Green, in addition to two second-round picks. 

Simons is a bucket-getter. A three-level scorer.

And his long-range shooting and shot creation ability would help. 

But if the Rockets are going to move Fred VanVleet’s $25 million (which they don't dictate or control), they could land someone more impactful, who fits their actual needs a bit more than Simons.