Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone Talks Kevin Durant and Offseason

Even though it seemed to be a tough decision for Stone, it ultimately came down to the ability to trade for one of the best offensive players of all time being too much to pass up. Cam Whitmore's trade to the Washington Wizards was the latest move by Stone. Stone spoke on why the Rockets decided to trade Whitmore.

Whitmore fell out of the Rockets' rotation last season after a strong rookie campaign. It seems that for most of the season, Whitmore and the Rockets were not on the same page, and now he has a better chance to get playing time with the Wizards.

The Rockets are short one guard after trading Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns. Rockets On SI asked Stone if he felt they needed to add another guard for more backcourt depth.

After the free agent signings of Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, the Rockets don't have a lot of room under the first tax apron. Teams in the NBA are doing whatever they can to avoid the first apron tax penalty, and with the Rockets already close, it sounds as if the roster you currently see is the same one you will see to start the season.

Stone also talked about the signing of Clint Capela. Stone mentioned that going into free agency, the Rockets organization didn't believe they would have a chance to sign Capela, considering they already had Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. With the signing, Stone believes Capela gives them a more mobile option at center for the upcoming season.

Stone mentioned several times that the Rockets are no longer a developmental team and are ready to take the next step in the 2025-26 season. From all the moves the Rockets have made this offseason, it seems they are indeed prepared to compete for a championship shortly.