The Houston Rockets explain Kevin Durant's signing: "Now we can compete"

When asked on Monday about the most important factor that led the Rockets to want to sign Kevin Durant, General Manager Rafael Stone offered a simple response to Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle.

"It's Kevin Durant," Stone said. He then praised Durant's shooting efficiency and scoring prowess in the midrange, suggesting that adding that dimension to the offense should make Houston a more complete team. He is also looking forward to seeing what the young players on the team will learn from the 15-time All-Star.

"His work ethic is simply impressive," Stone added. "The speed at which he trains and the intensity with which he does it is something that has made him great over the years, and that started when he was very young. So, of all the things I hope will rub off, that is the main one."

As the offseason began, there was some uncertainty about how aggressively the Rockets would pursue Durant, given that he is turning 37 and may not necessarily fit into the timeline of the club's young core. When asked about that line of thinking, Stone suggested that Houston is no longer a development team and he believes those young players are ready to win now.

"Last year we were second in the West, and I think very legitimately so. That's why we believe we can now compete," Stone commented. "Last year we lost a very tight series and thought we had real chances to compete in the playoffs, and we hope to have real chances to compete in the playoffs this year."

The fact that Houston is no longer a developmental team is one of the reasons management felt it made sense to part ways with Cam Whitmore, the 2023 first-round top pick, Stone explains. "We want to give Cam the opportunity to do in his career what we still believe he can do," clarified the general manager. "I think Cam is an incredibly talented and very nice young man, and I wanted to give him the chance to come home and be in a situation where he could really learn from his mistakes in a way we could never allow, only in the Rockets' version that he joined."

Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard, and Clint Capela

Including former number 2 draft pick Jalen Green in the package for Durant was necessary due to salary matching rules but was not easy, according to Stone. "Jalen is incredible. He did everything we asked of him," Stone assured. "He's a wonderful combination of talent and work ethic, as well as being a great person. And whenever you have the privilege of working with someone who has talent, works very hard, and is very nice, you must value it. So, from an organizational perspective, we have valued him greatly. So yes, it was very difficult."

When asked if the Rockets still wanted to add more depth to the perimeter game, Stone said the team would always be open to potential improvements but was skeptical about significant moves occurring before the start of the season. "I like our team as it is," he stated. "We have a very tight salary cap and no room left, so I think it's very likely that we will start the season looking very similar to the current lineup. It's quite unlikely to be otherwise."

One of the reasons the Rockets feel comfortable with their current backcourt is the belief that Reed Sheppard, the 2024 third overall pick, is ready to take on a more prominent role. "Reed will have to be very good for us, period," Stone affirmed.

Stone confirmed that the addition of Clint Capela in free agency indicates the Rockets' willingness to rely more on lineups with two centers in the 2025/26 season. "We loved that lineup when we discovered it last year. We thought it was very, very effective for us," he recounted. "Furthermore, Clint brings something we don't have, as he's a center who moves more easily on the perimeter and also poses a threat in the air game. Finally, we believe depth is very important. As we are trying to surpass the season, we don't want huge drops. We didn't expect to be able to sign Clint in free agency, but we were very happy when it happened."

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