The final week of June is a busy one for Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, who will have approximately $60 million and more available to potentially spend in 2023 free agency. Agreements can officially be reached starting at 5 p.m. Central on Friday, June 30.
But for now, he’s happy to reflect on what is being viewed around the NBA as an extremely successful draft night for the Rockets. Houston added guard Amen Thompson (the No. 4 pick in the first round) and Cam Whitmore (No. 20) to its emerging core of young talent.
“When you see something special, you know it’s special,” Stone said of Thompson. He was asked about the unproven nature of Thompson’s Overtime Elite professional basketball league, where he played in the 2022-23 season prior to declaring for the NBA.
“Part of the job is to evaluate these young men coming from so many different circumstances,” Stone said of Houston’s scouting process. “What Amen can do, to me, jumps out.”
Here’s a roundup of what Stone told reporters on Monday. With Thompson and Whitmore leading the way, Houston’s 2023 summer league roster begins play on Friday, July 7, in Las Vegas.