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Oct 29, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone watches during practice before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Rafael Stone Says Rockets Are Still 'Hunters' This Upcoming Season

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Lachard Binkley | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 3:00 PM ET

After the Houston Rockets and James Harden parted ways in 2021, the Rockets went into full rebuild mode. During Harden's Rockets career, especially after the signing of Dwight Howard and, eventually, the sign-and-trade for Chris Paul, the Rockets were seen as championship contenders year in and year out.

That meant on most nights they were a team everyone around the NBA paid attention to and the team that had a bullseye on their back. Even though that didn't lead to a championship, the Rockets were still the one most teams were hunting for all season. That, of course, all changed after the 2021 Harden trade, with the Rockets leaning heavily into the youth movement and player development.

From 2021 to 2023, the Rockets only won 59 games as they continued to build their team around high lottery picks. That all changed in the summer of 2023 as the Rockets' front office decided it was time to go from a young team that values player development over wins to a more veteran-led squad that wanted to compete for a playoff spot and eventually a championship.

The change in philosophy worked as the Rockets improved by a league-best 19 wins in the 2023-24 season, barely missing the playoffs to a 52-win team last season, who finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference, losing a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Golden State Warriors.

Are the Houston Rockets the Hunters and Not the Hunted This Upcoming Season?

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After their first-round playoff loss, the Rockets felt that they were still missing a closer and a player who could elevate his game in big moments, especially in the playoffs. Kevin Durant is that type of player, and that's why the Rockets made the blockbuster trade to bring over the future Hall of Famer this offseason.

After finishing second in the Western Conference and bringing in a player of Durant's stature, some may believe that the Rockets are the team that will be doing the hunting this coming season. Still, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone doesn't think that's the case.

During an interview with Houston’s ESPN Radio affiliate (97.5 FM), Stone said:

" I hope it doesn't. Like, first of all, we're definitely still the hunters. We ain't win anything." Stone also said, "We need to be hunting."

Stone went on to say they need to be the team that is hunting. Stone also discussed how, despite being one of the surprise teams last season, they internally believed before the previous season started that they could be as good as they turned out to be in 2024-25.

Conclusion

Whether you believe the Rockets are the team that everyone will have circled on their schedule or the team still trying to prove themselves, one thing is for sure. The Rockets are expected to be among the handful of teams with a realistic chance at an NBA championship this upcoming season.

You can watch the entire interview here.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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