Rafael Stone says Rockets are focused on bringing back core group

The Houston Rockets have one of the NBA's more intriguing cores of young talent. Houston's 19-win improvement — going from 22-60 in the 2022-23 season to 41-41 in 2023-24 — was the biggest year-on-year jump of any team, and the recent addition of the No. 3 draft pick in 2024 could supplement that core. Add the presence of proven head coach Ime Udoka, and it isn't surprising that speculation has swirled that Houston could consolidate some of those assets in a trade to expedite its timetable.