Stone: We want to give young people the opportunity to grow. Judging from the current situation, the threshold for triggering transactions is very high.

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone recently emphasized the team's offseason idea in an interview: "Cultivating young players as the core will not easily start large-scale transactions." He made it clear: "We want to give young people a chance to grow. At present, the threshold for triggering transactions is very high." This statement not only reflects the Rockets' confidence in the existing lineup, but also reveals the team's strategic direction in salary structure and future planning.

1. "Houcheng 7 Sons" as the core, the "young men" mentioned by Stone mainly refer to the "Houcheng 7 Sons" in the Rockets - Jaylen Green, Alperen Shinkin, Jabbarry Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Ethan, Shepard, Whitmore and this year's first round No. 10 pick (if the draft pick is retained). These players are all under 24 years old and have shown significant growth this season:

Green: Average of 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists in the regular season, underperformed playoffs, averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in the game, and improved significantly in defense and key ball skills;

Shen Jing: Average of 19.1 points, 10 in the regular season. 4 rebounds and 4.9 assists, averaging 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game in the playoffs, becoming the rare "center support core" in the league;

Amen Thompson: averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season, and averaging 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in the playoffs. The defensive coverage is comparable to the top forward.

Stone believes: "Their chemistry is taking shape, especially when playing against the Warriors in the playoffs, Shin Kyung and Amen's performance under high pressure proves the team's potential. We need to avoid using short-term trading to destroy this continuity."

2. The "double threshold" to trigger transactions: star value + salary matching

Although Stone emphasizes that "the trading threshold is very high", it does not completely rule out the possibility of operations. According to his statement, the Rockets need to meet two major conditions for launching a transaction:

1. The target player must have "irreplaceable"

standards: All-star players who can directly improve the team's competitiveness in championships, or functional players who can fill key shortcomings (such as top 3D, basket protection center).

Case assumption: If the Pacers sell Halliburton's level (18.6 points and 9.2 assists per game), their passing ability complements Shin Kyung, which may trigger the Rockets' quotation; but for ordinary rotation players (such as defenders who average 12 points per game), the Rockets are more inclined to tap potential internally.

2. The transaction must comply with "salary discipline" and future flexibility

Current status: The Rockets' total salary in the 2025-26 season has reached US$190.31 million (including Van Fleet's 44.9 million team option), and it has exceeded the luxury tax line (170.8 million). Only middle-class contracts are available. If Adams contract is renewed (an average of about 15 million per year), the salary space will be further compressed.

Limitation: Stone made it clear that "the future draft pick will not be sacrificed for short-term combat power", so the trade chips will be mainly expiring contracts + young players (such as Landell, Tate's expiring contracts, etc.), rather than overdraft first-round picks.

3. Potential operation direction: Resolutely repairing and making up for minor repairs, and rejecting "harmful"

Combined with Stone's speech and team needs, the Rockets are more likely to perform the following low-risk operations during the offseason:

1. Renew Van Vritte: Reduce salary and change space for a longer period of time

Goal: convert Van Vritte's 44.9 million team option to a 3-year, 60 million contract renewal contract (average annual average of 20 million), and release about 25 million salary space. Reason: Van Vreett averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game this season. He is the only player with both ball-holding and championship experience. However, his age at 31 and his regular poor performance make it difficult for him to match a higher salary. If it weren't for his five games in the playoffs, his contract renewal might have been further compressed. Long-term salary cuts are not only in line with the team's financial plan, but also can stabilize the core of the backcourt.

2. Filling the inside depth: Basic salary/Mini middle-class signing and protecting the basket

Need: Shen Jing moves slowly on the defensive end (the Warriors replaced the defense in the playoffs), and a mobile center needs to be added.

chips: Use a mini middle class special case (5.7 million) or a basic salary contract (about 2.3 million) to avoid consuming major assets.

3. Handling marginal contracts: Make a quota for rookies

Possible leavers: Tate (annual salary of 8.3 million, expired in 2026), Randell (annual salary of 8 million, unsecured, expired in 2026), Holiday (annual salary of 4.9 million, team option, expired in 2026) Williams (an average salary of 2.5 million in 3 years, unsecured in 26-27, 2028 team option) If you select a rookie, you may cut some marginal players.

4. The "patience game" between fans and management

Stone's statement has aroused some fans' concerns: in the context of intensifying competition in the West, will overconservatism miss the best window for championships?

But the management obviously attaches more importance to long-term planning - the boss Fertita has previously clearly required "maintaining salary elasticity before 2027", while the Rockets' average young core age is only 22.3 years old, and in theory there is still room for growth for 2-3 years. As Stone said: "The Warriors spent five years cultivating the Splash Brothers, and the Spurs were established around Duncan for 20 years. We believe that these young people can go further, but it takes time to learn how to win." Although this "slow work and meticulous work" strategy may sacrifice short-term results, it has laid the foundation for sustainable development for the Rockets..

Summary: Rebuilding into the "deep water zone", patience is the only answer

The Rockets' offseason strategy can be summarized as: take "Seven Sons in Housing" as the foundation, fill in the shortcomings with the smallest cost, and refuse to overdraw the future for short-term results. For fans, this means that we need to continue to wait for young players to realize their talents, but it also means that the team avoids the embarrassing situation of a "half-bagging lineup" - after all, in the fiercely competitive West, a vibrant and healthy young army will always have more room for imagination than a "no-top or down" mixed lineup.