One of the craziest deals in the NBA was sealed in June 2025 when the Houston Rockets traded two of their key young players to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Kevin Durant and Clint Capela. Houston had reasons to go all in: Durant, one of the more prolific scorers in the history of the league, can be a lethal option to have on both sides of the court.
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“We liked the growth our team showed last season and believe Kevin’s skill set will integrate seamlessly,” Rockets’ GM Rafael Stone had said once the news of the trade came out. The GM also managed to bring home the Rockets’ very own Capela, who had played six seasons for them after being drafted in 2014.
But while this does make Stone happy, trading off talents like Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks does leave a bitter taste, too. Stone acknowledged the achievement of both players with the Rockets, while admitting that sending them away is just the cost of doing business.
“Drafting Jalen was… That’s nothing. That’s my job. Working with him, getting to know him, and just the quality human being that he is. That’s what makes it tough. It’s not the proprietary, ‘I did’. I didn’t do anything of substance,” Stone said.
“We are all human, and NBA teams live together, right? You see each other way more than you see your family. So when you are with somebody like that for 4 years, and they are a quality human being, who is trying to do the right thing every day, and you can see them growing up to. That’s always really kind of cool,” he explained.
Asserting that it’s never easy, Stone said that it is, however, part of the business. “Because he had grown up, I think he was at a point in his career and his life where he was ready for it,” the Rockets GM added.
As far as Green’s parting words are concerned, Stone revealed that they were heartfelt and he had expected nothing less from him. “I know how much his teammates and everybody in our offices meant to him. I know how much the city meant to him,” he said.
Stone added that everything he spoke about Green applied to Brooks as well. The executive saw the players excel over the last two seasons, playing the most minutes for Houston. And it makes him feel better that both these athletes were now in great places, making great livings for themselves and their families.
While the trade might make him sad, Stone need not be much upset about it. After all, it’s not every day you land an all-time legendary talent like KD.
Integrating a young core of Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard with the vast knowledge and experience of KD can add that missing element into the Rockets. One that can propel them as contenders on the ever-competitive West.
