NEWS FLASH: After the trade deadline, Rafael Stone, general manager of the Houston Rockets, speaks to the media. However…

Houston Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone Addresses Media Following Trade Deadline

On Monday, Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone addressed media regarding the team’s relative inactivity at the trade deadline. Heading into last Thursday, rumors had swirled regarding the team’s interest in acquiring immediate help with backup center a major area of need. Instead, the team’s only move was to acquire a backup center in Steven Adams who will not be able to suit up until next season.

Stone said that he had had discussions about other moves which eventually did not pan out, noting that the moves which he found most intriguing were those which could help in both the short and long term. Numerous reports had linked the Rockets to Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges, a 27-year-old who would have provided an immediate boost to the Rockets lineup while being young enough to grow with the team’s young core.

Stone said that teams had called to inquire about the availability of his “Core 6”—Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore—but that ultimately, he and head coach Ime Udoka agreed that the team needed to give those prospects more than just 50 games before drawing any conclusions.

Stone addressed Green, the team’s starting shooting guard, and the first selection of the team’s rebuild project (taken second overall in the 2021 draft), saying that “Jalen has been, and continues to be on paper, a great fit with us.” He noted that Green was aware of the areas in which he needed to improve,

mainly physicality and efficiency. Green’s third season has not transpired as hoped as his shooting woes have continue; Green is eligible for a contract extension as early as this summer.