Should the Houston Rockets Pursue Anfernee Simons?

The young guard has been impressive with the ball in hands, so is it worth Houston making a deal?

Jan 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) dribbles against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers come into the season with extremely low expectations, preparing for their second season in the post-Damian Lillard era. They'll be rebuilding, which means that the solid talent they already have may be traded by training camp. Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton have all put up good numbers with more touches in Portland, and it may be worth it for the Houston Rockets to look into a deal involving one of those three.

Grant has been talked about as a solid fit for the Rockets, given that he is expected to go soon. However, Simons is a 25-year-old guard at the statistical peak of his career thus far.

Simons burst onto the scene during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 17.3 points the year they traded Lillard's running mate CJ McCollum. From then on, his numbers have gotten better every year, most recently with averages of 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.

The Rockets' backup point guard is set to be rookie Reed Sheppard, who dominated the NBA Summer League. However, Sheppard is more of a combo guard than a facilitator, and it may be worth pursuing Simons to space the No. 3 pick on the wing.

Sheppard's facilitating in summer league play was impressive, but those games in Las Vegas never tell the full story of a player. Simons is an established guard coming off of a career year in points and assists. Now that Houston is pushing for the playoffs this season, pursuing Simons would bolster their depth.

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