Identifying the Rockets’ best path towards a rebuild

General Manager Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers and General Manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
General Manager Neil Olshey of the Portland Trail Blazers and General Manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets Tad Brown Tilman Fertitta (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The best approach for the Rockets to rebuild

As is the case with most things, the answer to the question of how Stone should approach the rebuild lies within the gray area. Throughout the history of the NBA, championship teams are built through not a singular, rigid team-building philosophy, but a hybrid of multiple ideas.

For example, Pascal Siakam, a homegrown draft project, played an integral role in the Toronto Raptors winning the 2019 title. However, it was the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard via trade that put them over the hump.

In the coming years, Rafael Stone will be faced with many difficult decisions as he tries to bring a title back to Houston. But with the haul of assets that he received for James Harden, he will have the flexibility to employ a litany of strategies, giving the Rockets the highest possible chance of success.

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