“There’s some positional overlap, or at least an overlap in terms of the on-ball presence,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone says of Kevin Durant and Jalen Green and his thought process in making the trade.
Led by general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets consistently praised Jalen Green for his growth in Houston.
Last season, he was the top scorer for a Houston team that finished with a 52-30 record and the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings.
Yet, Green underwhelmed in a first-round series loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 NBA playoffs. A few weeks later, he was traded to Phoenix in the blockbuster deal bringing Kevin Durant to Houston.
On Monday, Stone spoke to reporters for the first time since the Green-Durant deal became official. He explained that Green’s inclusion in the deal was largely due to finances and role, as opposed to being a direct result of that disappointing playoff run.
“It’s what the deal required,” Stone said. “It’s the NBA, and you can only do trades if a certain amount of money goes out… when a certain amount comes in. And there’s some positional overlap, or at least an overlap in terms of the on-ball presence.”
Stone went on to describe Green as “awesome” while possessing “a wonderful combination of talent and work ethic.” At 23 years old, he still has room for further growth, too, and perhaps the rebuilding Suns (36-46) can better facilitate that development.
But Durant is a former Most Valuable Player (MVP), two-time champion and NBA Finals MVP, and a 15-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. That was too much to pass up for a Houston team that wants to win a championship next season.
“He’s Kevin Durant,” Stone said of the deal’s motivations. “He’s just… really good. He’s super efficient. He had a great year last year. He’s obviously not 30 years old anymore, but he hasn’t really fallen off, and we just think he has a chance to really be impactful for us.”
In addressing the subsequent Cam Whitmore trade, Stone explained that after years of rebuilding Houston is “not a developmental team any more.” That same line of thinking could also be applied to the Durant-Green swap, it seems.
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