Rafael Stone, general manager of the Houston Rockets, has done a masterful job of rebuilding the franchise, from the draft to hiring Ime Udoka as head coach. The Rockets finished with the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference last season and further improved this offseason by acquiring Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade.
Stone candidly spoke in an interview with ESPN Radio Houston and opened up about the process that landed the Rockets one of the NBA’s all-time great scorers. Despite being thrilled with the deal, he said it wasn’t a moment to celebrate.
Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone Opens Up About Acquiring Kevin Durant and Why He Hasn’t Celebrated It
When asked if he celebrated the trade, Stone explained why he didn’t. He told ESPN Houston the negotiations for Durant were long and that the deal only made sense now, as the Rockets take the next step in contention.
“I definitely didn’t celebrate. It was long. Like, we understood what they wanted to get for Kevin, and it just didn’t make sense for our team, starting, I don’t know, a year ago. So there were all these conversations, and it was a very, very long process. I think the thing about it from my perspective — obviously, we did the trade. We’re really happy with it. I’ve gotten to know him (Durant) a little bit, and I’m really happy with him as a person.”
Stone also highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of trades: the human side. The Durant deal sent homegrown guard Jalen Green and fan-favorite enforcer Dillon Brooks out of Houston, and Stone expressed gratitude for what both players contributed to the team’s success.
“But the flip of that is, as people and as co-workers, Dillon and Jalen were just awesome. We were the No. 2 seed last year, on a very, very, very young team. And I thought we played Golden State really tough.”
Durant is coming off another typically productive offensive season for the underachieving Phoenix Suns, averaging 26.6 points and six rebounds on 52.7% shooting. The Rockets hope he is the missing piece to help them contend for a championship.
Stone’s Impressive Rockets Rebuild
It’s hard to argue against the pairing of Stone and Udoka as one of the league’s strongest GM-coach tandems. In that same interview, Stone explained their roster-building process and how closely aligned he and Udoka are when it comes to evaluating talent and building a roster.
“The things I really value in players, he does too, and he knows how to enhance. What makes the partnership with Ime awesome is that the types of guys we gravitate to … he knows what to do with them and makes them better.”
Examples of that philosophy include drafting Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, along with adding veteran guard Fred VanVleet. With Durant now on board, Houston is among the teams to watch this season.
