During trade negotiations last winter related to disgruntled star James Harden, the Houston Rockets preferred a trade package built around Miami’s Tyler Herro to one from Philadelphia centered around Ben Simmons, according to ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon.
While Harden has long since been moved, the anecdote about the preference of general manager Rafael Stone could be of significance — now that Simmons is again on the trade block, and some are wondering whether the Rockets might attempt to get involved in the talks.
In an appearance on the latest episode of the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, here’s what MacMahon said:
Just to put in perspective what the expectations were [for the 2020-21 season], and what the buzz was around Tyler Herro a year ago: I’m pretty certain that the Rockets had more interest in Herro — I mean, it would’ve been Herro plus a hell of a lot more — as a potential centerpiece of a Harden package than they did Ben Simmons.
In his second NBA season, Herro averaged 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists with the Heat. For his career, the 21-year-old guard shoots 37.5% from 3-point range, and he was a key part of Miami’s unexpected push to the 2020 NBA Finals. By comparison, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists while providing strong defense — but his shooting deficiencies and hesitation were a big part of the Sixers’ shocking second-round series loss to Atlanta in the 2021 playoffs.
Given John Wall’s massive salary figure and the expectation that he will no longer play in games for the Rockets, it would be foolish to rule out a Simmons deal, should the 76ers show interest. But the context clues suggest that there’s a limit to how far Stone would go with an offer.
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