Rockets' Rafael Stone makes priorities clear with another brilliant contract

The Houston Rockets are in good hands with Rafael Stone.

That wasn't always the consensus. When the Rockets were tanking, some fans were critical of Stone. They couldn't see the vision:

Now that we're here, they're mostly on board.

Granted, there will always be critics, but the consensus is largely that Stone has done a remarkable job. The Rockets enter 2025-26 with one of the best rosters in the NBA and a surplus of assets. Stone has made his name by making shrewd trades, but that's not all he's done well. Stone also has a knack for structuring team-friendly contracts.

Think about it. The non-guaranteed seasons built into Kevin Porter Jr.'s deal made it easy for the team to abandon ship when things went south. The Suns may have been apprehensive to take on Jalen Green if not for his contract's early player option. Houston was also easily able to waive Jock Landale this summer. Stone has proven that he'll prioritize flexibility in player contracts:

Now, he's done it again.

Rockets sign veteran wing to beautiful contract

The details surrounding Dorian Finney-Smith's new contract have been announced. It's got an average annual value of $13.5 million. That's a fair price for Finney-Smith, but it gets better:

The third and fourth years in his deal are non-guaranteed.

That's a benefit for any team, but it's crucial for the Rockets. This team is about to get expensive. There's already anxiety about their ability to retain Tari Eason. This contract allows them to cut ties with Finney-Smith - or at least a large portion of his deal - prematurely if need be. It should also make it easier to move the veteran wing if necessary.

That's optimal for a signing who was superfluous in the first place.

Rockets have young wings to prioritize

Some of us had some concerns about the Finney-Smith signing. With one of the brightest young wing rotations in the NBA, why bring in a veteran at the same position?

Some of that trepidation has been eased. It seems the Rockets plan on treating the 2 spot as an extra wing position. That leaves enough room for everyone in this year's rotation:

But the long-term cap sheet could be a different story.

The Rockets got ahead of the problem to an extent by moving on from Cam Whitmore. That's fine, but they can't unceremoniously dump Eason. Where Whitmore was struggling to fit in, Eason typifies the high-effort brand of basketball the Rockets want to emphasize.

Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr. is already tied up long-term. It feels likely that the Rockets will have to shed Finney-Smith's deal in a couple of years to keep Eason while ducking the luxury tax, and now, that's more easily achieved. Give Rafael Stone credit:

Even if you weren't always willing to do so.