The Houston Rockets should sign Ben Simmons in buyout market

The Houston Rockets didn't make much noise at the trade deadline.

That's fine. This is a young team that's surpassed expectations this year. The Rockets didn't need to rock the boat. Besides, they'll pick up a quality player on the buyout market, right? Malcolm Brogdon would be a perfect fit.

Oh. Fair enough. How about Bruce Brown? He can handle the ball to some extent. Brown is a good shooter and defender. He'd make a sensible addition to the Rockets.

Oh! OK. Que the "this is fine" meme. Surely the Rockets are being linked to someone.

..Excuse me?

Rockets could add controversial star

At first blush, Ben Simmons feels like an outrageous suggestion.

The Rockets are 28th in the NBA in three-point percentage (34.3). Simmons is shooting 0 threes per game on 0 attempts per game. Can this roster sustain another non-shooter?

Granted, the team's profile has been different lately. In January, the Rockets are 6th in the NBA in three-point percentage (38.2%). Their defense during the same period has slipped. The team's 114.2 Defensive Rating is just 17th in the NBA during that time.

This feels like a flimsy justification to add a player like Simmons. This roster is full of players with limited jump shots. We can largely attribute their defensive slippage to losing Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets still need shooting, and they don't need defense.

They should take a look at Simmons anyway.

Rockets could benefit from Simmons' skillset

Simmons is one of the most unfairly maligned players in the NBA.

In 2024-25, he's averaging 9.2 points, 10.4 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per 75 possessions. Simmons remains a versatile, high-end defender. His -1.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) is a career-worst, but that can be partly attributed to having spent his season with a tanking Nets squad.

For most of Simmons' career, he's been a point guard. He's spent an estimated 77% of his career minutes at that position.

What if he reinvented himself on the Rockets?

Amen Thompson was supposed to be a point guard as well. In Houston, he's found tremendous success as a wing. The Rockets could use Simmons as a frontcourt player. With his superior height, he could even shore up some minutes as a backup 5.

The Rockets aren't in the market for a starter. Simmons wouldn't be among their leaders in minutes per game. Still, if he's up for a more minimal role - maybe 10 or so minutes per game across frontcourt positions - he could be a dynamic addition to this team's rotation.

Let's not forget - this is a buyout. Simmons will be taking a small contract no matter where he signs. If the Rockets aren't successful with him, they can remove him from the rotation without significantly compromising their capsheet. Why not add a talented player?

Unfortunately, Brogdon isn't available.