Do not trade the 2027 Draft pick!!!

topfive · Mar 7, 2026 at 5:28 PM

RB713 said: ↑

funny thing is everyone knew Eli Witus was the brains behind Morey. How did Stone just swoop in for the job?
Click to expand...

If Witus (allegedly) called the shots when Morey was the GM, why is GM Stone (allegedly) calling the shots now? This would've had to be a decision reached higher up on the org chart, like Tilman or Patrick. Regardless of what "everyone knew," did Witus ever really have the ability to decide who we draft? Or did he just give his recommendations? (Not saying Eli can't spot talent, I'm just questioning why in this scenario Morey didn't make the final call, but apparently Stone does?)

Easy · Mar 7, 2026 at 6:40 PM

topfive said: ↑

If Witus (allegedly) called the shots when Morey was the GM, why is GM Stone (allegedly) calling the shots now? This would've had to be a decision reached higher up on the org chart, like Tilman or Patrick. Regardless of what "everyone knew," did Witus ever really have the ability to decide who we draft? Or did he just give his recommendations? (Not saying Eli can't spot talent, I'm just questioning why in this scenario Morey didn't make the final call, but apparently Stone does?)
Click to expand...

I don't think Witus actually "called the shot" during Morey's time. And IIRC, Witus didn't want to take the GM position. Some people just want to be the advisor rather than the decision maker.

RB713 · Mar 7, 2026 at 6:46 PM

Easy said: ↑

I don't think Witus actually "called the shot" during Morey's time. And IIRC, Witus didn't want to take the GM position. Some people just want to be the advisor rather than the decision maker.
Click to expand...

Would like to hear from @Clutch if he knows

mac_got_this · Mar 7, 2026 at 7:52 PM

If Ime is here long term, I’m not mad if they trade th picks for a proven two way star.

Ime isn’t a developmental coach. Nor is he a patient coach.

Little Bit · Mar 7, 2026 at 9:51 PM

mac_got_this said: ↑

If Ime is here long term, I’m not mad if they trade th picks for a proven two way star.

Ime isn’t a developmental coach. Nor is he a patient coach.
Click to expand...

No, he’s not patient which I don’t understand why he came here in the first place.

OremLK · Mar 7, 2026 at 9:55 PM

topfive said: ↑

If Witus (allegedly) called the shots when Morey was the GM, why is GM Stone (allegedly) calling the shots now? This would've had to be a decision reached higher up on the org chart, like Tilman or Patrick. Regardless of what "everyone knew," did Witus ever really have the ability to decide who we draft? Or did he just give his recommendations? (Not saying Eli can't spot talent, I'm just questioning why in this scenario Morey didn't make the final call, but apparently Stone does?)
Click to expand...

Because Tilman is a typical billionaire a-hole, it's not about competence. It's about how well you can suck up and "demonstrate loyalty"

Nook · Mar 8, 2026 at 12:39 AM

RB713 said: ↑

funny thing is everyone knew Eli Witus was the brains behind Morey. How did Stone just swoop in for the job?
Click to expand...

It’s not that simple.

Witus is one of the absolute best talent evaluators, especially in the draft and is why Sengun was drafted.

However he doesn’t personality-wise meet some of the requirements of being a GM.

If he ever decided to leave the Rockets, he wouldn’t have any issues getting a job. Daryl Morey would immediately hire him.

daywalker02 · Mar 8, 2026 at 12:46 AM

Stone would not be as favorable personality wise under Les Alexander.....we all know he preferred the best talkers.....(ehm McHale type)

Someone who can draw the public and media in..... not with something like 'This is Not Our Year?'

Looking as if he had not slept for 5 days with his tired goldfish look.

Nook said: ↑

It’s not that simple.

Witus is one of the absolute best talent evaluators, especially in the draft and is why Sengun was drafted.

However he doesn’t personality-wise meet some of the requirements of being a GM.

If he ever decided to leave the Rockets, he wouldn’t have any issues getting a job. Daryl Morey would immediately hire him.
Click to expand...

Nook · Mar 8, 2026 at 12:48 AM

J.R. said: ↑

Stone helped Fertitta buy the team.

@Nook can confirm/explain (which I think he already did at/around the time)

https://www.truehoop.com/p/the-fuse-of-the-rockets-has-been

2015
The Rockets made it to the Western conference finals, where they lost to the Warriors but seemed destined for great things. (The Rockets have a knack for being eliminated by the team on its way to the title, having managed it three times in five years.) James Harden was living in Los Angeles, dating a Kardashian, and reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape. The Rockets had high expectations, but struggled out of the gate—and soon fired coach Kevin McHale.

People who worked for the Rockets were almost certain the interim would be one of McHale’s associate head coaches, Chris Finch. Morey’s front office had once pressured Rick Adelman to elevate Finch to lead assistant. Adelman refused, but Finch later got the gig under McHale.

What exactly happened is open to debate, but what’s not is that the team’s then-general counsel, and now GM, Rafael Stone, became a forceful figure in the process, and by the end, J.B. Bickerstaff won the interim job. Two former Rockets employees brought up this story as an example of why the Rockets would not be a good place to work, because they are wary of Stone, and how decisions are made.

…

2017-2018
Fertitta was making his presence known in all kinds of ways. Importantly, Alexander’s side of the sale process had been led by the team’s president, Tad Brown, and general counsel, Rafael Stone. As Michael Hardy of Texas Monthly has detailed, Fertitta emerged as the victorious bidder, but not clearly the highest one. There was a lot of dealmaking and convincing first to emerge as the pick, and then to close the deal—which reportedly required putting up $100 million in earnest money and raising money through a bond issue.

Most NBA teams function like monarchies, with all the palace intrigue of The Crown. Various figures jostle and backstab in the hunt for the billionaire’s attention. By the end of the process, to many Rockets’ staffers, it became clear that Brown and Stone had entered Fertitta’s good graces, which is no small thing.

This effectively moved everyone else down a few spots, leading to more than a little uncertainty. A team that had been centered around Morey and D’Antoni now had less clear underpinnings, especially as Fertitta began talking in public.

The Rockets went on to win 65 games. Even with Chris Paul out injured, the Rockets almost made the Finals. They lost Game 7 of the Western conference finals in a heartbreaker to the Warriors—who would sweep the Cavaliers in the Finals. It’s easy to imagine that, healthy, the Rockets could have won a title. Maybe nothing needed to change.

In the hallway after the season-ending loss, Fertitta rattled many. First, he made a classic billionaire mistake by suggesting in public that he, a restaurant magnate born into money, had much to teach the full-time professional basketball experts he employed, most of whom had defied incredible odds to get where they were. Fertitta also conspicuously praised only a few players, but not the coach or GM, saying “I have five great starters. They’re all great. I love all five of my starters.” He made clear that lessons he learned from his restaurant empire would help in basketball. “I’m a fighter. That’s my culture. The longer I own this team the more they’re going to pick up my culture.”

D’Antoni pioneered an offense that has infused the NBA—perhaps no team better than the Warriors who had just beat the Rockets—with a belief in the power of the 3-pointer. It felt pointed when Fertitta says “it’s not let’s make a few shots and win. It’s step on their throats. We will pick up a few Tilmanisms along the way.”

Meanwhile, Tucker emerged as a major force on the team. He was not only one of those five starters, but he led all players in minutes in Game 7, as the linchpin of a Rockets defense that almost contained the uncontainable, fully empowered Stephen Curry/Kevin Durant Warriors.

It was already clear Tucker was worth more than his $8 million salary. One source says the discussions were routine: “every year they promised to pay P.J. They were never going to pay P.J.”

…

September 13, 2020
The next day both D’Antoni and Morey sent word to Fertitta that they wouldn’t be back, although news of Morey’s departure would take a month to become public.

September 17, 2020
Monte McNair, a key Morey deputy, left the Rockets for a job as GM of the Sacramento Kings. If the Rockets had been divided over Capela vs. Covington, tradition vs. innovation, small vs. big—McNair was seen as being on team Robert Covington.

With D’Antoni and McNair out, and rumblings about Morey, one former Rockets employee says, “it was clear the other side was in charge, and now Robert Covington would be gone, P.J. Tucker would want out, a lot of people.”

October 15, 2020
Morey and Fertitta agreed Morey would be stepping down, and would be replaced by Rafael Stone.

Sources with the Rockets worry who is left at the organization with the respect of players like Harden.

In a follow-up interview with Fertitta and Morey, Fertitta talked about how deep the bench was under Morey—an apparent allusion to Stone and Witus, now that McNair was gone. Morey also mentioned “Patrick” being part of the process, in reference to Fertitta’s son, who is said to be close to Stone, and playing an increasingly important role.

November 16, 2020
The bold Robert Covington experiment ended in a trade with the Blazers that brought back another player who is reportedly fed up with the Rockets (and reportedly seeking an apology) Trevor Ariza, who was then traded again.

The roster shuffling eventually resulted in young big man Christian Wood, restoring much of the basketball thinking before the Covington trade—to pair Harden with a big man, as the Rockets once did with Dwight Howard.

Stephen Silas was announced as head coach. The many different Rockets bigwigs—Fertitta, Harden, Westbrook, Stone—had varied notions of who should coach. Fertitta was talked out of Jeff Van Gundy who was seen as a tough fit with Harden and Westbrook. Harden reportedly wanted Lue. Stone is close with John Lucas.

Stephen Silas—who one source called “just the nicest guy”—emerged as the compromise. Morey had long been a fan. Silas had briefly been a head coach in Charlotte, filling in when Steve Clifford missed several games in the 2017-2018 season. The feedback from those who had been there at the time was a question about his ability to take charge of strong personalities. One source sees confirmation of this in Harden’s calculation that he didn’t need to arrive at training camp on time.

Much has happened to erode employees’ trust in the organization, including signs of belt-tightening. Fertitta earned a certain reputation with the staff years ago when he made them stay in his casino hotel in old Vegas for summer league, while most teams—and a few select executives like Stone and Brown—stayed in high-end hotels on the strip.

Click to expand...

In short - very few people in the Toyota Center brain trust liked/wanted to work with TF. The environment became poor and TF was forcing deals and decisions that were against what Morey and Monte and Eli wanted. Stone had built up trust with TF by handling the sale.

Morey/MDA/Monte all knew that Stone had started advocating for whatever TF wanted (Westbrook) and Morey felt betrayed.

So Morey/MDA and others planned their exits and Stone got the job and has had it since. He knows how to maneuver politically with TF and other powerful people. Time will tell if he is a good GM or just a cautious/bright guy that knows how to cover his ass.

Forums

Do not trade the 2027 Draft pick!!!

topfive CF OG

Easy Boban Only Fan
Supporting Member

RB713 Member

mac_got_this Member

Little Bit Member

OremLK Member

Nook Member

daywalker02 Member

Nook Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!

Do not trade the 2027 Draft pick!!!

topfive CF OG

Easy Boban Only Fan Supporting Member

RB713 Member

mac_got_this Member

Little Bit Member

OremLK Member

Nook Member

daywalker02 Member

Nook Member

Share This Page

Easy Boban Only Fan
Supporting Member