In a series of trades involving highly sought-after veterans such as James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Victor Oladipo, many have speculated whether Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta might be using his influence to steer first-year general manager Rafael Stone in certain directions.
Stone, however, insisted in a Monday press conference that Fertitta does not have any role in trade talks. While Stone said that he generally keeps the team’s owner in the loop regarding organizational direction, he clarified that Fertitta has no role in the ultimate basketball decisions.
“No offense to my boss, he doesn’t really have (a role) in a deal like this,” Stone said. “I do my very best to be a constant contact with Tilman, telling him about the direction we’re trying to go in… and I want him to feel very, very comfortable about our processes. Tilman is a deal guy. He’s super valuable to me as a resource.”
“In terms of actual players? No. He leaves that up to us.”
Stone’s press conference can be viewed in its entirety below.
