Rockets GM: Very happy with team, not expecting major changes

The Rockets made their big swing last summer, landing Kevin Durant. So far, they like how it’s gone.

General manager Rafael Stone told Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle that the team is “very happy” with Durant, while also pointing to steady growth from the younger pieces across the roster.

Stone added he would’ve liked to see the group at full strength, particularly with point guard Fred VanVleet available. Injuries got in the way, and it showed.

Still, don’t expect a teardown.

“Someone in my shoes should never say I’m going to make huge changes or I’m not going to,” Stone said. “You do what the market dictates.”

In other words, nothing forced. He made it pretty clear he likes what he has.

“I like this team,” Stone said. “We’ve seen growth throughout the year.”

That doesn’t mean Houston stands pat. Just means any moves will come from opportunity, not panic.

Then there’s Dorian Finney-Smith. That one didn’t go as planned.

Finney-Smith dealt with a delayed start after offseason ankle surgery and never really found a rhythm. The numbers dipped across the board, and the impact just wasn’t there.

Even so, Stone isn’t backing off the move.

“I would do that acquisition again,” he said. “The player he was the last few years really fits our style.”

Fair point. The idea made sense. It just never fully materialized. Stone chalked it up to timing and the usual uncertainty that comes with injuries.

“There’s risk in every single transaction you do,” he said.

So where does that leave the Rockets?

Pretty simple. They like the core. They believe in the growth. And unless something presents itself, they’re not looking to shake things up just for the sake of it.

Which, in today’s NBA, might be the boldest move of all.