Rockets GM thinks newly acquired guard Dennis Schroder is a 'good fit' in Houston

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone expressed optimism that newly acquired guard Dennis Schroder will fit well with the team, per Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic. Houston traded for the 28-year-old earlier this week.

“I think the style of basketball we play, we’re either the fastest or top 3-4 fasted in the NBA,” Stone said. “And he’s electric in the open court, and an above average defender. I think it’s gonna be a good fit, both ways.”

If the Rockets choose to keep Schroder, he’d provide backcourt depth behind starting guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. The team could also agree to a buyout with him, which would allow him to join another club.

In 49 games this season, Schroder has averaged 14.4 points and 4.2 assists in 29.2 minutes per contest. He’s shot 44% from the floor and 35% from deep during those outings.

Here are some other notes from Houston:

• Kelly Iko of The Athletic hosted a Q&A with veteran big man Christian Wood (before the trade deadline), discussing the team’s rebuild, individual growth and more. Wood has played in 52 of his team’s 55 games this season, averaging 17.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest.
• Rafael Stone expressed confidence that Eric Gordon wants to be in Houston, per Alykhan Bijani. “Eric [Gordon] wants to be here. I feel really comfortable talking about that,” he said. While Gordon’s name surfaced in trade rumors this week, the Rockets ultimately held onto him. The 33-year-old is set to make $19.6M next season and holds a $20.1M team option for the 2023-24 campaign.
• Stone also discussed whether the team received trade offers for Wood and Gordon, explaining why he didn’t move either of the players. “We obviously didn’t receive an offer that we wanted to do more than we wanted to keep the guys. I think they’re important parts of this team,” Stone said as part of a larger quote, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26.