Tag: Rafael Stone

ESPN lists several 2024 NBA free agency targets for Rockets

ESPN’s Bobby Marks lists players such as Jose Alvarado, Monte Morris, Luke Kennard, Gary Trent, Isaiah Joe, Bruce Brown, and Kelly Oubre as potential fits.

Between three established veterans in Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams, and a promising young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore, the Houston Rockets already have an established nine-man rotation for the 2024-25 NBA season.

But, as we saw when the likes of Eason and Adams missed significant time in the 2023-24 campaign, injuries happen. Depth options near the end of Houston’s bench — think Jock Landale, Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, and Jae’Sean Tate — all played key roles, at times.

Many of those players may again be options for those same roles in 2024-25. But Rockets general manager Rafael Stone could also look outside the organization, and he has the non-taxpayer mid-level exception — which offers a starting annual salary near $13 million — to lure quality candidates. So, who might he target?

Here’s who ESPN’s Bobby Marks, a former front-office executive in the NBA, sees as plausible targets for the Rockets:

If there is one item on the Rockets’ wish list, it is to add another playmaker. Houston ranked 26th last year in assists.

Free agents who fit: Jose Alvarado, Reggie Jackson, Skylar Mays, Monte Morris, Luke Kennard, Gary Trent Jr., Isaiah Joe, Bruce Brown Jr., Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Sam Hauser, Royce O’Neale, Joe Ingles, Matt Ryan, Cedi Osman, Max Christie, Saddiq Bey, Caleb Martin, Lonnie Walker, James Huff, and Luke Kornet

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko recently opined that Holiday appears likely to leave the Rockets in free agency, which could make those names at the guard spot even more tempting to Stone and the Rockets. Superior 3-point shooting, defensive versatility, and shot creation are also roster needs, according to head coach Ime Udoka.

On paper, VanVleet is Houston’s starter at point guard and Thompson the backup. However, Thompson functioned in more of an off-ball role as a rookie, which could make extra ball-handling something of an insurance priority during his early NBA years.

Free agency deals can be reached starting on the evening of June 30.

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Report: After landing at No. 3, Rockets less likely to trade 2024 first-round draft pick

Jonathan Feigen on the Rockets and the 2024 NBA draft: “They were more open, and looking to move it, at [pick] nine, than they would be at three.”

Prior to the 2024 NBA draft lottery, which the Rockets entered with a projected first-round position of No. 9 overall (via Brooklyn), Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen wrote that the pick could potentially be moved for future draft assets.

But after surprisingly jumping up to No. 3, such a deal has become less likely for a myriad of reasons.

In a podcast appearance with Grind City Media, Feigen says:

A lot of the talk about the Rockets has been that they’re open to moving that pick. I wrote that before the lottery, too.

They were more open, and looking to move it, at [pick] nine, than they would be at three. If only because it’s hard to trade the third pick for a future 12th pick or a future 15th pick, even though this is a weaker draft.

Now if they could get two 12s, they might do that. And obviously if they could pair it with some asset they have to get a star, they’d like to use moving up [in the order] to help them. But they are definitely more interested in picking in the first round, or in the lottery, in future years… than they are this year.

In a mock-draft exercise, Feigen selected French wing Zaccharie Risacher for Houston (Alex Sarr and Stephon Castle went at No. 1 and No. 2 to the Hawks and Wizards, respectively). Many other mocks have Risacher going in the top-two picks, so his selection by the Rockets could represent a best-player available approach.

Feigen said he believes the Rockets might like Castle, a guard out of Connecticut. However, he cautioned that No. 3 could be too high, even if Castle were hypothetically on the board. Feigen also mentioned Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard as a No. 3 candidate.

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Report: With No. 3 pick, Rockets to remain active in trade talks until NBA draft night

Michael Scotto on the Rockets: “The No. 3 pick will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.”

After some great lottery luck, the Rockets own the No. 3 selection in the 2024 NBA draft. However, Houston already has a roster filled with young talent, including a pair of rotation players selected in each of the previous three first-round classes.

And after a 41-41 campaign with year-on-year growth of 19 wins (most of any NBA team), general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka want to be in the postseason mix come 2025.

So, does Houston want to add another young player that could take time to develop? Or, might that No. 3 pick be used as part of a deal to acquire a veteran that could help win more games now?

Michael Scotto, who covers the NBA for HoopsHype, writes in his latest aggregate mock draft that trade talks involving the Rockets will remain active leading up to the June 26 draft.

Scotto reports:

The Houston Rockets are transitioning to a win-now mode and looking to take the next step to become a playoff team after significant progress from their young core under coach Ime Udoka.

The No. 3 pick — one of five potential first-round picks the Rockets can trade this offseason in a package to land a star player — will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.

Should a deal not materialize, Scotto says the Rockets could select from several guards, including former Kentucky teammates Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Nikola Topic and Stephon Castle. Or, Houston could select Matas Buzelis, who can play both forward spots.

Scotto is less bullish on the potential of the Rockets drafting Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, saying “it’s hard to imagine a world where (Alperen) Sengun and Clingan play together when they occupy the same position.” Sengun is Houston’s starting center.

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Nets owner Joe Tsai hints at longer-term approach, which could benefit Rockets’ future draft picks

Brooklyn’s sudden emphasis on taking a longer-term approach could benefit Houston, which owns first-round draft assets from the Nets through 2027.

The Houston Rockets already landed Tari Eason and the No. 3 pick (via Brooklyn) in the 2024 NBA draft as part of the January 2021 blockbuster trade involving James Harden.

More assets from that Rockets-Nets deal are still to come over future years. Houston owns unprotected pick-swap rights with Brooklyn in the 2025 and 2027 first rounds, along with another unprotected pick conveyance from Brooklyn in 2026.

With that in mind, the latest comments by Nets owner Joe Tsai could be very encouraging, from a Houston perspective.

When recently asked about his team at J.P. Morgan’s Global China Summit in Shanghai, Tsai said on stage:

I want to build a winning mentality and culture that’s sustainable. Those two are very different things. If you just want to be win-now, you could ruin your future by trading away all of your assets. But I think what I want to do with the Brooklyn Nets is take a longer-term approach and build a sustainable, winning culture.

With a team that went 32-50 in the 2023-24 season, that longer-term approach doesn’t suggest an immediate return to form. In turn, that could make those Houston draft assets more desirable.

On the other hand, it might also suggest a desire by the Nets to reacquire their picks from the Rockets — since those talented prospects could help build the culture Tsai desires.

In a trade scenario for some or all of those Brooklyn assets, the Rockets could have a path to acquiring Mikal Bridges (likely Brooklyn’s best player, at present). Or, they could pursue draft assets that stretch further into the future — such as those Brooklyn owns from Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade from early 2023.

With Houston featuring a roster deep in young players, there’s a case to be made that pushing those draft assets further into the future could preserve the asset value over a longer period. After all, the valuation of any prospect who struggles to show his on-court value (even if it’s due to a deep rotation) is likely to decline.

Or, the Rockets could simply stay the course with those Brooklyn picks, as is. Generally speaking, adding more talented players than expected is a good problem to have in the NBA.

All in all, it’s a good place to be for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, since each of these paths involve Houston adding even more talented players and/or draft assets to its stockpile. Stay tuned!

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Rockets monitoring Donovan Mitchell’s situation in Cleveland, The Athletic reports

If Cavs star Donovan Mitchell is available this offseason in a trade, the Rockets are among teams with potential interest, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

With only one year left on his contract, teams around the NBA are waiting to see whether All-Star Donovan Mitchell signs an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If not, this summer could be the optimal time for Cleveland to trade him before his value declines due to contractual factors.

With that in mind, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently floated the Houston Rockets as a potential Mitchell suitor. Now, Houston-based reporter Kelly Iko of The Athletic is reporting the same.

Iko writes:

Another possibility, if the Rockets were to move the No. 3 pick, is packaging it with additional assets for a star. Houston is flush with young talent and draft capital that could appeal to teams with elite talent in flux. One player who fits is Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell.

The Rockets are among those interested in the 27-year-old and have been monitoring his situation for months, league sources say. The Cavaliers guard’s delay in inking a long-term extension, coupled with another disheartening playoff exit, only adds to speculation about his future. Such a move for an All-NBA type player would be more suitable than for others who could potentially be available — New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges — for example.

Mitchell is slated to make $35.4 million in the 2024-25 season, and in terms of a potential deal, the Rockets have sufficient salary matching options. The bigger questions surround asset value.

For starters, would Mitchell be willing to commit to a new contract with the Rockets (41-41), who haven’t yet broken .500 in their rebuild? If not, it would likely be too risky for Houston to make the peak bid, since Mitchell could leave for no compensation in 2025.

If Mitchell was willing to extend with the Rockets, Houston has intriguing assets to offer Cleveland between a core six of recently drafted first-round prospects (Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore); the aforementioned No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA draft; and three more years of unprotected first-round assets via Brooklyn.

But, with the Rockets not yet on the cusp of immediate title contention, it remains to be seen how many of those younger assets that general manager Rafael Stone would be willing to surrender.

If Mitchell expressed a desire to go to Houston specifically, that leverage might drive down the asking price, since other teams probably wouldn’t bid too aggressively on a player (even an All-Star) who doesn’t want to play there and isn’t willing to commit to his next contract. The question is why would Mitchell prioritize the improved but still-building Rockets to that extent? Is head coach Ime Udoka that much of a draw? It’s not implausible, but it’s a lot to ask.

It’s a long shot for those dominoes to all fall in line, but it’s a subplot worth monitoring as the offseason nears.

A 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points (47.5% FG, 37.8% on 3-pointers), 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 35.6 minutes over his two seasons to date in Cleveland.

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Rafael Stone: In 2024, Rockets are more comfortable with trading draft capital for veteran players

Rockets GM Rafael Stone: “Because we like our current roster so much, it actually provides us with more flexibility to explore creative deals of all sorts.”

The Rockets explored trades involving their top first-round selections in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NBA drafts.

However, none of the talks reached the finish line, and the Rockets didn’t trade out of the first round in any of those drafts. No trades were completed involving Houston’s picks in the top 20 selections.

In 2024, however, the calculus could be different for general manager Rafael Stone. This year, the Rockets (41-41) are coming off a much-improved season under new head coach Ime Udoka. In each of the previous seasons, Houston had won 22 or fewer games, and trading the pick for a veteran didn’t make much sense when the team was that far away from winning in the postseason.

But this year, should the right offer materialize, it could make sense for the Rockets to be more aggressive on the trade market.

In a new interview with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Stone was asked about the potential of trade talks in 2024. He replied:

I think it’s getting easier for us to be flexible. The last couple of years, it’s made a ton of sense for us to draft, because we’ve needed this infusion of young talent. It’s a little easier [now] to be more diversified in terms of pushing draft picks out, taking veteran players.

Our optionality is we always wanted to keep an open mind in case there was something that we needed to do. But because we like our current roster so much, it actually provides us with more flexibility to explore creative deals of all sorts. We weren’t foreclosing things two or three years ago, but it’s gotten easier.

Stone’s complete interview with Iko can be read here.

After a surprisingly positive result in the 2024 NBA draft lottery, Houston (via Brooklyn) is set to pick at No. 3 in the first round on June 26. While the latest wave of mock drafts is projecting a range of intriguing prospects to the Rockets, it’s worth remembering that trades are very much a possibility.

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Rockets expect shooting to improve in 2024-25 through maturation

Rafael Stone on the Rockets and shooting: “As our team matures and figures out their spots and makes the right play, shooting percentages will rise.”

As directed by head coach Ime Udoka, the Houston Rockets had a clear emphasis on shooting more 3-pointers coming out of the All-Star break. In 28 games, Houston’s average total of 39.6 attempts per game ranked second to only Boston, which owns the league’s best record.

That emphasis on 3-point volume played a role in Houston’s wildly successful March, which featured a 13-2 record and an 11-game winning streak. Third-year guard Jalen Green came very close to earning Western Conference Player of the Month honors.

For the entirety of that stretch after the All-Star break, Houston ranked No. 21 in 3-point accuracy (35.4%) despite being second in attempts. In March, that figure jumped to No. 9 (37.5%).

So, when the Rockets were able to combine both 3-point volume and accuracy, the wins came in bunches. The question is whether they can sustain that formula over a longer period, and if additions from outside the organization could bolster that push.

As general manager Rafael Stone sees it, the Rockets should shoot better during the 2024-25 season without any changes, simply based on young players taking shots of superior quality.

In a new interview with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Stone says:

We do expect to shoot better next year with no external changes. One enormously important aspect of shooting is shot selection. You can highlight players with equivalent shots and one guy will shoot 33%, one guy will shoot 43%, because the guy shooting 43% is taking much easier shots than the guy shooting 33%. As our team matures and figures out their spots and makes the right play, shooting percentages will rise.

Similarly, the one constant trend through the history of basketball is that as guys go on in their careers, they become better shooters. So as our young players get a year older, they should all individually improve. Notwithstanding it, of all the skills in the NBA, shooting is probably the one everybody pays a premium for. So we’ll look at that, both in terms of people we bring in as free agents and people we draft.

If the Rockets choose to bring in extra shooting via their No. 3 draft pick in the 2024 first round, Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard appears to be an obvious candidate (latest mock drafts).

Iko’s complete interview with Stone can be read here.

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Rafael Stone says Rockets are focused on bringing back core group

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone: “Our primary focus is bringing back our core group as a better core group than it was last year.”

The Houston Rockets have one of the NBA’s more intriguing cores of young talent.

Houston’s 19-win improvement — going from 22-60 in the 2022-23 season to 41-41 in 2023-24 — was the biggest year-on-year jump of any team, and the recent addition of the No. 3 draft pick in 2024 could supplement that core.

Add the presence of proven head coach Ime Udoka, and it isn’t surprising that speculation has swirled that Houston could consolidate some of those assets in a trade to expedite its timetable.

But that’s not necessarily the case, per general manager Rafael Stone. In a new interview with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Stone says:

We’re comfortable with our team and we think we’re going to improve internally. Because of that, I don’t think we’re likely to be super aggressive. It doesn’t mean we won’t listen. And it doesn’t mean if we think that there’s a unique opportunity, we won’t jump at it.

But we have very talented players, they’re young and we lost a ton of games to injury. That combination means our primary focus is bringing back our core group as a better core group than it was last year, both through internal improvement and health.

Houston’s young core includes six players selected in the first rounds of the 2021 through 2023 drafts: Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.

To Stone’s point, Eason missed 60 games of the recently completed season due to injury. Sengun and Thompson missed approximately 20 apiece. So, aside from the usual development and growth trajectories of young players, there’s also a case to be made that Houston could further improve simply from better health.

Iko’s complete interview with Stone can be read here.

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To keep or to trade? After landing No. 3 draft pick, Rafael Stone excited by Houston’s options

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.

Known for his strategic thinking, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone found himself in an unfamiliar position on Sunday after the NBA’s 2024 draft lottery. The annual event determines where teams pick in the first round, which takes place this year on June 26.

For the past three years, Stones selected players out of necessity in Houston’s rebuilding phase, which was brought on after James Harden’s departure. So, when the Rockets surprisingly secured the No. 3 pick in 2024, Stone was left with a strategic choice: keep the pick or trade it in a package for a veteran player or future assets. The decision could significantly shape the team’s future.

With Houston’s existing young core of rotation players, it might seem unlikely it would add another young player who would compete for minutes. However, that is not necessarily the case.

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Stone said in a post-lottery press conference. He had just arrived at the draft combine in Chicago after scouting prospects in France in recent days.

That seemed an unlikely scenario after the emergence of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who played key roles as rookies in helping the Rockets go 41-41 last season. Add in the developmental leaps made by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in their third seasons — and promise shown by second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. — and Houston has the blueprint to be a special team.  

“The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back,” Stone said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “We’ll look at things, but, again, I don’t view our roster as, ‘We’re missing X; we need to go find it.’ It’s not like we have a gaping hole.”

Many college and NBA analysts believe this draft class is weaker than in most years. The consensus is that many top-10 players in this class are outstanding role players, rather than superstars. If Houston keeps the pick, it could help them in the future by allowing their selection to develop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate. 

“I think last year’s draft was a different draft than we’ve seen in a while, just because there was so much attention focused on just one guy (Victor Wembanyama),” Stone said. “That wasn’t the case in the two drafts before it, and I don’t think it’ll be the case this year.”

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Bleacher Report lists Jock Landale as trade candidate in Houston

With Steven Adams joining the rotation and Jock Landale having a series of team-friendly contract options, Bleacher Report views the latter as a trade candidate.

As the roster stands, the arrival of a healthy Steven Adams for the 2024-25 season will bump Jock Landale from second string to third string on the Houston Rockets depth chart at center.

That, alone, could make the 28-year-old defensive big man a potential trade chip — since his role is already likely to decline in Houston.

Another factor, though, is his contract, which allows for maximum financial flexibility thanks to a series of team options.

That could all lead to Landale being a trade commodity this summer, as Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz explains in a piece examining potential trade options for teams throughout the NBA:

Jalen Green looked like a potential trade candidate for the Rockets to go star-chasing with this summer until he balled out over the final month of the season. The fit and play style between him and Alperen Şengün is worth watching moving forward as well.

For now, we’ll assume both are staying put while still on rookie contracts. No decision needs to be made by Houston at this time.

The safe answer here is Jock Landale, who now becomes the Rockets’ third-string center with a healthy Steven Adams on board.

Landale has one of the more unique contracts in all of basketball, and he’s owed $8 million in each of the next three seasons but with all three years being non-guaranteed.

Houston could use his $8 million salary in a trade this offseason, with the team acquiring the 28-year-old then having the option to keep paying him this money or opt for the cap space instead.

Known best for his defense, the Australia native averaged 4.9 points (51.5% FG) and 3.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes last season. In compiling those numbers, the 6-foot-11 big man’s plus-9.6 net rating was the best of all players on the improving Rockets (41-41), whose 19-win jump from the previous year was the most of any NBA team.