James Harden and the Houston Rockets are off to a slow start to the season. Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Bill Simmons rethinks feelings about the James Harden trade

By Mark Fishman | Last updated 11/19/15

Ever since the Oklahoma City Thunder traded superstar James Harden to the Houston Rockets in 2012, one of the biggest critics of the trade has been former ESPN columnist and famed basketball fanatic Bill Simmons.

Well, at least until now.

Jeremy Lamb has a higher PER than James Harden. And Harden quit on Kevin McHale. I am ready to re-think my feelings about the Harden trade.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 19, 2015

Rockets guard James Harden, who finished second in the NBA MVP voting last season, is the leader of the Rockets team that is off to a disappointing 5-7 start to the season. After failing to meet high expectations, the Rockets fired head coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday.

For Simmons, who was the editor-in-chief of the recently disbanded sports website Grantland, this is the first time he has publicly questioned the trade that sent Harden to Houston. Prior to his most recent comments, Simmons has implied in the past that the Thunder could have a dynasty in the making with Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

After years of working with ESPN, Simmons is expected to launch his own sports show on HBO in 2016.

Can you name every Houston Rockets player to make an All-Star team?

Quiz Clue: First season as All-Star / Total Number of All-Star appearances | Last updated on April 18, 2017 | Total tries: 6869 | Average Score: 7.1 out of 16 (44%) | Quiz FAQ

SCORE:
0/16

TIME:
5:00