Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone faces another season of building a championship team this offseason. Stone has leaned heavily into drafting and development. The Rockets used their high draft picks to add young, high-upside talent such as Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore.
While the team endured a few losing seasons, Stone stayed committed to growth from within, emphasizing continuity, accountability, and player development over quick fixes. Stone understands players are likelier to buy into the team's direction when they see consistent leadership and a clear commitment to a plan. He would prefer to have continuity going into the new season.
"I think continuity for continuity's sake isn't what we're trying to achieve. Continuity is great, but the goal is to build a championship team. And if we think that there's a move or a series of moves that make it more likely we will be that, then we would ignore continuities, and we do those moves," said Stone.
The Rockets hold the 10th overall pick in the upcoming draft this year. There are many rumors that they will trade the pick for a veteran player to add to the young core group that won 52 games. Stone will be very active this offseason as he looks to improve the team.