GM Rafael Stone Vows Rockets Will Be Aggressive in NBA Draft
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets could be the busiest team leading up to and during the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Rockets currently have two picks entering the draft at No. 3 and No. 17. And following the trade that sent Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks on June 15, Houston will join the San Antonio Spurs as one of two teams with three first-round selections.
Adding a trio of prospects to their young corps is a strenuous task within itself. But scouting the candidates eligible for the draft is one half of the task that will keep general manager Rafael Stone and staff occupied Thursday night.
Stone vowed that the Rockets will be an "aggressive" team as endless possibilities looms over the franchise.
"That's probably the biggest commonality that Tillman [Fertitta] and I bring to life," Stone said Tuesday afternoon. "We are aggressive people. It doesn't mean that we are going to get anything done. But we are only going to do deals we internally decide are really good ones."
Stone said he is willing to call every team 5,000 times in hopes of finding the right deal. The possibilities for Houston could range from acquiring another first-round pick to deciding to package each selection in a trade and not draft anyone — which is a highly doubtful situation.
Last year's draft witnessed the Rockets trade two future first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 16 selection. Houston's drafted Turkish big man Alperen Sengun, who will start at center for the Rockets in 2023 following the pending departure of Wood.
But when it comes to striking a deal by trade, the Rockets have three players they can use to obtain assets for now and the future.
"Every single deal is going to be the best deal we can find," Stone said. "What we will not do is acquire a pick by accident. If we decide to acquire something, we have to think the value is there for us. We are not going to put ourselves in a situation where we are hoping that another deal is going to come to fruition."
A day away from the draft, Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. have made their way to the rumor mill with the franchise still on the daunting quest to find a trade partner for veteran point guard John Wall.
A source told Inside the Rockets that Houston and Wall are still "working on something" to end their two-year partnership.
Martin's trade value around the league could be a small-scale given that the third-year forward is still in the developmental stages of his career. But the imminent departure of Gordon could bring Houston their most significant asset.
As first reported by ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns are the two teams trying to land the former Sixth Man of the Year winner (2017), and the Rockets have deals on the table. The 76ers are one of several deals that have the Rockets exchanging Gordon for the No. 23 pick.
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