Rafael Stone Has Exceeded Most People's Expectations as General Manager

When Darryl Morey decided he wanted to spend more time with his family and left his general manager position with the Houston Rockets, there was some concern about what would be next for the Rockets. Morey had been the Rockets' general manager for over a decade and had built the team around James Harden to compete for championships.

Morey's exit opened the floodgates and signified the end of an era for the Rockets. Russell Westbrook wanted out of Houston after one season, Mike D'Antoni decided he didn't want to come back, and a few months later, the Rockets' franchise player, James Harden, demanded a trade and was quickly moved to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Harden trade marked the end of a decade-long partnership and also signified the first significant move for new general manager Rafael Stone. Stone took over for Morey before the season started and was instantly thrust into a messy situation. Stone was not new to the Rockets, having been in the organization since 2005, when he joined the Rockets as general counsel.

Stone had not only to navigate hiring a new head coach but also deal with an unhappy Harden, a bloated cap situation, and starting a rebuild on the fly. Some felt the Rockets didn't receive enough in the Harden trade at the time, but Stone always had a long-term plan in mind.

The Rockets slowly built up their team through the draft in the first few seasons, prioritizing player development over everything else. The Rockets and Stone received a lot of backlash from fans and media across basketball as they suffered through the worst three-year stretch in the franchise's history.

Throughout the rebuild, Stone remained consistent with his message that the plan was to continue the current course with the rebuild and maintain the status quo. After the Rockets' third straight losing season and multiple lottery picks, Stone and the Rockets' ownership knew it was time to move to phase two.

After the 2023 season, the decision Stone would make that offseason would make or break the next several seasons for the Rockets. Stone did not waste any time, as he decided not to renew Stephen Silas's contract and immediately hired former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka.

The next step was to bring in more veteran leadership on the court, which the Rockets desperately needed. Stone would sign both Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet to add that leadership on the court and in the locker room.

At the time, the signings were not well-received decisions among a significant number of people. Some around the league felt Stone paid too much for both players, especially Brooks, considering he was coming off a not-so-stellar playoff performance in his last season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stone felt that both players would bring exactly what the team needed. VanVleet would lead the offense and help one of the worst turnover teams in the NBA over the previous three seasons, and Brooks would help anchor the defense. Both assumptions were correct, as noted by Stone, as the Rockets had their best turnover rate in franchise history.

The Rockets improved by a league-best 19 wins and just missed the play-in game. Up until this point, Stone had drafted six players in the lottery, and five of them played prominent roles in the rotation. The seventh lottery pick, Reed Sheppard, was drafted in 2024, which was a result of a trade Stone made that was projected to land at the back end of the lottery but turned into the third pick.

The Rockets would go on to have their best season since 2020, winning 52 games, which was second best in the tough Western Conference. Amen Thompson who Stone drafted in 2023 became one of the best defenders in the NBA, Alperen Sengun Stone's pick in 2021 made his first All Star game and Steven Adams a player Stone traded for before the 2023 trade deadline helped formed one of the best big man duos in the league with Sengun which played a big part in the Rockets success.

The Rockets would eventually fall to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, but that didn't take away from an excellent season for the Rockets. Many believed the Rockets would not make any significant moves, play it safe, and let the young players continue to get better, but Stone felt otherwise.

After weeks of back and forth, the Rockets made another big splash by trading for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Despite the Phoenix Suns' persistence in negotiating a more favorable trade, Stone did not budge and made the exact trade he had wanted to make. Even though Stone did have to trade Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, it was still an A+ trade, considering who the Rockets received in return.

That trade was just one part of the Rockets' busy offseason as the Rockets extended Ime Udoka's contract, came to an agreement with soon-to-be free agent Steven Adams on a new three-year deal, and agreed to a new contract with Fred VanVleet. The VanVleet deal, especially, was a great move by Stone as it freed up more money for the Rockets this offseason.

Stone has proved time after time that he is not only thinking about the present but also looking forward, and each move has led to this point where the Rockets are now championship contenders.