Report: Opposing GMs believe that the Rockets aren’t planning to make a significant deal this season

Even though the Houston Rockets have one of the best records in the Western Conference this season, they reportedly aren’t expected to make a major trade ahead of this season’s deadline.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, opposing general managers believe the Rockets and their desire to not make a major move during the 2024-25 campaign.

“(Rockets general manager) Rafael Stone went on SiriusXM, on the record, and said we’re not going to make a significant trade this season,” MacMahon said. “They’ve been telling – I’ve been telling you guys that’s what they’ve been telling me going back coming out of the summer. But, you know, nobody’s under oath. So I’ve been asking around, and people say – like I ask other GMs – ‘Hey, do you believe the Rockets?’ And I haven’t had a single person tell me no. That’s how they’re operating.”

Houston currently holds the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, although it is 6.5 games back of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, Houston has an impressive young core led by players like Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr.

While the Rockets do have some veterans (mainly Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet) that have played significant minutes for them this season, they are mainly a team of up-and-coming players.

Since Houston has gotten off to such a strong start this season, it may want to go through a full campaign – and potentially a playoff run – to truly see what this roster needs. It’s also worth noting that the Rockets used a lottery pick on guard Reed Sheppard this past offseason, and he has played sparingly at the NBA level due to the team’s depth.

Houston appears to be in a great position to land a superstar – should one become available – because of all the young talent it has that it could trade. The Rockets also have a ton of picks going forward, including an unprotected first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Those assets could be enticing for a team that is looking to rebuild and ship a star player out in the process.

For now, it appears the Rockets won’t change up their team ahead of the trade deadline and attempt to make a run with their current group.