Bill Simmons' Fred VanVleet Replacement Doesn't Make Much Sense for the Rockets

VanVleet averaged a solid 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. Despite poor shooting efficiency, he managed to play a major role in Houston snatching the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and had a few major playoff games as well.

Fans are already speculating what the Rockets will do at point guard, but they don't have much flexibility in terms of free agency. They are very limited in spending, and essentially can't sign a new player without going over the first apron. The only tradeable contracts on the roster are Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard.

If, hypothetically, Houston did want to immediately acquire a win-now replacement for VanVleet, it would have to be a home run trade rather than a role player acting as a filler. Bill Simmons of The Ringer , believes Derrick White is that home run.

The Boston Celtics guard averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season, and he wasn't even playing the one. White was slotted at shooting guard next to Jrue Holiday, but after the Celtics made a plethora of salary dumps this offseason, they are treading above water with Jayson Tatum potentially out for the season.

Given that this season could already be a wash for the Celtics, Simmons believes White is a piece who could bandage the VanVleet injury.

“Derrick White is the dramatic name. Give me some s*** back for Derrick White, " Simmons said. "That Phoenix pick you have in 2027, that’s coming back. You’re giving me real stuff for that. I think Sheppard probably has to be in it too."

“If you’re Houston and you turn this VanVleet disaster into Derrick White with some of your picks, and you make a real run at it this year, could you win the title with Derrick White, I think, is a real question."

White would fit perfectly within Houston's system. He played more of a 3&D role last season, dishing out quick assists and limiting his dribbles. Next to Durant, Sengun and Thompson, the 31-year-old could fit like a glove.

The catch for the Rockets would be figuring out who to trade. Obviously, the three players mentioned above would be off limits, which leaves Eason and Sheppard. Even packaging both of them still wouldn't be enough to match White's $28.1 million salary for the season. Any trade couldn't occur until Dec. 15 due to Houston's plethora of signees.

The move doesn't make sense right now. Durant, Sengun and Thompson are all untouchable at the moment, and if Houston is in a solid spot by mid-December, why shake things up with a major deal? The best thing the Rockets can do right now is see how Sheppard meshes with the team in a bigger role, and figure out a cheaper option later in the season.