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NBA analyst Bill Simmons believes the Houston Rockets are preparing for a significant consolidation trade, pointing to the team’s depth and flexibility as signs of a potential “three-for-one” move during the upcoming 2025–26 season.
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons outlined Houston’s current roster situation and suggested the franchise may be planning to convert its surplus of talent into a star acquisition midseason.
“So the Houston piece, that was the second thing I was looking at. Them overstocking their roster and all the flexibility they have,” Simmons said.
“They have [Alperen] Sengun, [Steven] Adams and [Clint] Capela and Jock Landale… [Kevin] Durant, Jabari Smith, and [Dorian] Finney-Smith… Amen Thompson, [Tari] Eason, [Cam] Whitmore, Fred VanVleet, and Reed Sheppard. And there's only 240 minutes in a basketball game. So my interpretation is they're stacking this for a three-for-one in the December, January, February range.”
Simmons went on to add that if a major player becomes available, the Rockets have the depth and assets to make a compelling offer.
“They're one of the five contenders in the NBA now… Sengun, Jabari Smith, and Eason plus some of your picks for this,” Simmons added. “They're not positioned for that.”
Houston’s offseason has been one of the most aggressive in the league. The team finalized a blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Durant from Phoenix to the Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, used on Khaman Maluach.
The trade marked a dramatic shift in direction for the franchise as it added the 36-year-old superstar to a roster already filled with developing talent and veteran contributors.
Bill Simmons suggests Rockets' crowded roster signals possible big trade
In free agency, the Rockets further bolstered their rotation. Dorian Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $53 million contract, and Clint Capela agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal to return to the franchise. Capela last played for the Rockets in the 2019–20 season before stints with Atlanta.
Simmons’ remarks followed reporting from The Athletic suggesting the Durant deal could evolve into one of the largest trades in league history. The two-team framework between the Suns and Rockets is reportedly being expanded to include seven franchises: the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
“The Hawks would be sending Clint Capela to the Rockets in what would become a sign-and-trade, league sources say,” The Athletic reported. “Durant would go to Houston. The previously reported return for him, including Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, would go to Phoenix.
“Only five players who were in the NBA last season are being discussed in the current iteration of the trade… The rest of the players being discussed are all from already-agreed-upon draft-night trades that are yet to be finalized and can't be until July 6.”
With Kevin Durant now in place and a crowded rotation at every position, Houston is viewed as a leading candidate to make another splash before the trade deadline.
