Rockets trade named as one of the most impactful moves of the summer

The Houston Rockets should have a lot of faith in general manager Rafael Stone.

By now, he's proven himself. Stone has done a shrewd job of accumulating assets for this team. He's put the Rockets in a prime position. They've got the flexibility to trade for a superstar or choose between players in their young core to move forward with.

When it comes to the draft, nobody can question Stone. Sure, he's misstepped. Everyone wishes he'd selected Quentin Grimes instead of Josh Christopher, and some would suggest that Evan Mobley would have been a better choice than Jalen Green. Still, no general manager drafts perfectly. All told Stone has done a remarkable job of finding value in the middle of the draft between Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Cam Whitmore.

On the trade market, his track record is more mixed. Stone has made some good moves. It's also been suggested that he tends to hang onto assets for too long. For example, if he'd moved Christian Wood before he did, he could have found a stronger return. By the time Stone was ready to move him, Wood had a well-established reputation as a malcontent.

At least Stone didn't rest on his laurels this summer. He made a huge trade with the Nets. Bleacher Report says it was one of the most impactful moves of the 2024 NBA offseason.

Rockets make waves with blockbuster deal

Here's what Dan Favale thought about the Rockets' end of the trade:

"Houston, meanwhile, received a smattering of stuff to deepen its draft-pick stash. The gist of the Rockets' return: They are shorting the Phoenix Suns' future.

It's an interesting, if not ingenious, gambit. Controlling Phoenix's firsts in 2027 and 2029 is especially interesting. Is Houston loading up on distant picks for a general consolidation trade? Or does it have a particular target in mind, perhaps one whose name rhymes with Bevin Dooker? Or Devin Kurant?"

- Dan Favale, Bleacher Report

Favale understands the strategy at play here. To build on his point, having a larger volume of picks will be useful even if the Rockets want to trade for someone whose name rhymes with Wion Zilliamson, or BaLelo Mall.

More broadly, this deal altered the NBA's landscape. By sending Brooklyn their picks back, the Rockets added a future-focused team to the Eastern Conference. Suddenly, the Nets are more focused on Cooper Flagg than Donovan Mitchell.

It's also notable that those Suns' picks are back in the Western Conference. If they do find themselves disappointed with their 2024-25 season and decide to rebuild, they may create a new contender in the West. As Favale outlines, the Rockets will be prime candidates to acquire Booker and/or Durant if the Suns implode.

That's the nature of power in both the NBA and at large - it's fluid. The dynamics are forever shifting. The Rockets increased the size of their market share of draft capital this summer.

Here's hoping Stone makes the right move to follow this one.