Rumors

Green said that he was notified of the trade first in a call from Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, and then by his agent. Stone said this week that the decision to part with Green was not an easy one, adding that Green "did everything we asked."

Houston Chronicle

"His work ethic is just awesome," Stone said. "The speed at which he goes, not in a game ... but the speed at which he practices and the intensity at which he practices is something that has made him great over the years, and it started when he was very young. So of all the things that I hope rubs off, that's the main one, I think, is that practice makes perfect. And I think one of the reasons he's had such an excellent career is because of the intensity with which he works day in, day out."

ESPN

Another guard on the roster, Reed Sheppard, is expected to continue to grow as well. Stone shared a quick challenge during that interview with the media on Sheppard. “Reed (Sheppard) is just going to have to be real good for us, period.”

Clutch Points

Adam Wexler: Official: #Rockets announced the 7-team trade to acquire Kevin Durant & Clint Capela w/ Atlanta, Brooklyn, Golden State, the LA Lakers, Minnesota & Phoenix. Details below plus comments from GM Rafael Stone & HC Ime Udoka on Durant & outgoing Jalen Green & Dillon Brooks.

Twitter

Initially, Rafael Stone and the Rockets organization made public and private commitments to their developing young core. They emphasized that trading away these promising players for a superstar was not part of their strategy. However, circumstances shifted in recent weeks, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "I believe he wanted to have his young team grow, but something happened the last few weeks," said Brian Windhorst. "Ime Udoka, who had him in his Brooklyn—Royal Ivey is on his staff—he was his teammate at Texas. He wanted him. He went to ownership and front office and said 'Can we can get Kevin Durant? Get him.'"

RealGM

Over multiple weeks of discussions with Phoenix, with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone leading the talks, Houston maintained a firm stance in its refusal to include young players like Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, team sources told The Athletic. The Rockets refused to give up the Suns’ 2027 and 2029 first-round selections as well, no matter how motivated the Suns were to recoup those prized picks (they sent them to Brooklyn in the February 2023 Durant deal, and the Rockets landed them in a June 2024 deal with the Nets).

New York Times

Adam Spolane: Here is Rafael Stone's response when he was asked to evaluate Jalen Green's series against the Warriors how how he balances that with what he saw over the course of the regular season pic.x.com/S0HtEEqhPQ

Twitter

Adam Wexler: #Rockets GM Rafael Stone on the possibility of extensions for Tari Eason & Jabari Smith Jr., he said he won’t comment on any those possibilities, but did say, “They are very important parts of what we do. They are both really, really solid guys. I love those guys.”

Twitter

Danielle Lerner: Rockets GM Rafael Stone said that he still values roster continuity as a method of improvement. That won't prevent the Rockets from making changes, but "The bar for change is very high," Stone said.

bsky.app

Danielle Lerner: Rafael Stone: “We are not a team built around any one player offensively, whether it’s Jalen, Alperen or Amen.”

bsky.app

Danielle Lerner: Rafael Stone declined to comment on specific contractual negotiations but said on Fred VanVleet: “He's been the person and player that we hoped we were getting and we're very optimistic he’ll be with us for the foreseeable future."

bsky.app

The likes of Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson, and Devin Booker will be linked in the rumor mill in the coming weeks, all with different pros and cons depending on Houston’s direction. Team sources say the Rockets will monitor the market closely and will hold internal discussions about potential fits and offers.

New York Times

Appearing to lose decision-making power within the franchise, McNair agreed to the departure. League sources say McNair, who spent 13 years in Houston before joining the Kings, could return to the Rockets in a front office role with general manager, and close friend and former co-worker, Rafael Stone. He also has close ties and possible prospects in Philadelphia, where former Rockets president of basketball operations Daryl Morey runs the Sixers front office.

New York Times

Tate has cultivated a reputation as an unselfish glue guy in the Rockets’ locker room, a player who doesn’t mind being overlooked if he can be a rock for his teammates. “I think it just goes back to how I was raised, honestly, just my support system,” Tate said. “They molded me into a great man, a great guy who comes in, does the right things, and, you know, makes sure he gets his work done every day, but still be hungry and humble. And I think Stone did a great job of bringing in guys that have that same approach.”

Houston Chronicle