Why it’s time for the Rockets to hit the restart button

Current Houston Rockets’ changes already underway

Morey’s exit now means Houston is promoting Rafael Stone to general manager, while Stone’s assistant GM will be Eli Witus. Prior to this promotion, Stone had been the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Rockets, which is quite a rise from his initial role, as Stone was hired as general counsel in 2004.

Stone has played a huge role in the Rockets’ success over the years, being a big help for Daryl Morey. Stone was apart of the Ben McLemore signing, the Chris Paul trade to Houston, and most importantly, he and Morey spent several hours in the conference room completing their biggest move to date, trading for James Harden.

Stone, 48, has a great mind for the game of basketball, which should have Houston Rockets fans optimistic about the Rockets’ future. The search for a new head coach for the Rockets is still going on, but there are a few candidates that are believed to be the favorite for the job.

As of right now, the names that are favorited for the position are former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy and former Rockets guard and current Rockets player development coach John Lucas. Former Rockets guard Sam Cassell was even considered, but from recent news, Van Gundy and Lucas are the favorites.

The Rockets moving on from D’Antoni is a step in the right direction, as this means change is certainly on the rise. The identity of the offense should be brand new, which should only better the teams chances.

Jeff Van Gundy had a pretty decent tenure as the Rockets head coach, while coaching the team that was led by hall of famers Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. The Rockets would be wise to hire a coach that is willing to undergo a rebuild, similar to what the Boston Celtics did when they traded Doc Rivers and signed Brad Stevens.

With teams like the Golden State Warriors coming back in full force, the Los Angeles Lakers coming off a championship run, a Clippers team looking for redemption, and the Nuggets proving to be legit, the Houston Rockets are running out of time.

Next: Why it's time to trade the superstars