Rockets offseason operation reveals: Stone s ambitions and trade-offs

On the offseason stage in the NBA, each team is planning for the glorious new season. Rockets general manager Stone detailed a series of impressive operations of the team this year’s offseason on ESPN show.

This offseason, the Rockets held a large number of trading chips and finally successfully welcomed the superstar Kevin Durant. However, this heavy deal also cost the Rockets Jaylen Green and Dillon Brooks. Speaking of this deal, Stone sighed that the process was long. "We had contacted the Suns a year ago and knew their asking price. At first we thought it was not suitable. After many discussions, the deal was finally concluded." The Rockets did not celebrate on the night the deal was completed. Stone said: "We are satisfied with getting KD. He is a good person; but I feel reluctant to leave Dillon and Green. They are also excellent players. Last season, as the No. 2 seeds, the players on the team were very young and have great potential for future development. When playing against the Warriors, Jaylen and Dillon caused a lot of trouble to their opponents, and they made a lot of contributions." These words not only revealed the joy of getting Durant, but also filled with regret for the players who left the team, demonstrating Stone's complex mood in making transaction decisions.

In fact, before chasing Durant, the Rockets were also attracted by Antetokounmpo. Even now, the Rockets have not completely cut off the transaction with their many chips. But Stone also admitted that it was not realistic to achieve this goal. "I have a good relationship with Jon Horst (General Manager of the Bucks) and I admire him very much. Jon made it clear at the time that they would not make any transactions, so they had to give up."

Despite the constant movements in the offseason, the Rockets firmly regarded Shin Kyung as the core player. Stone believed in Shin Kyung's potential: "If he had no strength, we wouldn't have chosen him back then. Shin Kyung was elected as the Turkish League MVP at the age of 18. You should know that it is the top five leagues in the world. The players participating in the competition are all NBA level, with an annual salary of five or six million US dollars. This is a good reference for strength. He can win the MVP on such a stage, which is enough to prove his extraordinary potential. When we inspected Shin Kyung, it was the COVID-19 pandemic, and the process was really not easy. We had communicated with him alone at that time, and he has always been our important goal." The operation of the Rockets in the offseason showed Stone's ambitions and trade-offs. Getting Durant undoubtedly improved the team's competitiveness in winning the championship, but it is also a pity to lose potential players like Jaylen Green and Dillon Brooks. Although the pursuit of Antetokounmpo was unsuccessful, it also reflected the Rockets' desire to improve the team's strength. Taking Shin Kyung as the core is also a long-term layout for the team's future development. In the new season, under the leadership of players such as Durant and Shin Kyung, the Rockets can shine on the field. Let us wait and see if Stone's decision can bring the Rockets the long-awaited glory.