Latest news with #ReedSheppard
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Amen Thompson's Breakout Paved The Way For Rockets' Kevin Durant Trade
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 02: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives against Amen Thompson #1 of ... More the Houston Rockets during the game at Footprint Center on March 02, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockets defeated the Suns 118-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Houston Rockets were a ball of clay. After three straight years with 22 or fewer wins, the Rockets went 41-41 in 2023-24 and were in the mix for a spot in the play-in tournament until they went on a five-game losing streak in the final two weeks of the regular season. A career season from third-year center Alperen Şengün hinted at better days ahead for the Rockets, especially after they landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. They used that pick on Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, pairing him with their trio of recent top-five picks—guard Jalen Green (No. 2 in 2021), forward Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3 in 2022) and wing Amen Thompson (No. 4 in 2023). However, it was unclear heading into this past season whether any of them were franchise-cornerstone material. Green was a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer over his first three seasons, while Smith didn't take a major leap between his rookie and sophomore campaigns. Although Thompson didn't get a ton of run as a rookie, Smith's midseason injury this past year opened the door for him to move into the starting lineup. Once he did, he would not relinquish that spot for the remainder of the season. He wound up averaging 15.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 37 games as a starter from January onward, and he carried that right over into the Rockets' seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs. With Thompson flashing Defensive Player of the Year upside along with well-rounded offensive contributions, the Rockets suddenly had their potential franchise cornerstone. His breakout paved the path for their blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant on Sunday. The Rockets agreed to trade Green, veteran forward Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft and five second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for Durant, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Although Green has been one of Houston's two leading scorers in each of his four NBA seasons, Thompson's two-way upside made him expendable, particularly for a player of Durant's caliber. The Missing Piece? The Rockets were fueled by the league's fifth-ranked defense this season, but their offense sputtered at times, particularly in half-court settings. They averaged only 93.2 points per 100 possessions in the half court during the regular season, which ranked 22nd leaguewide, and they were 11th out of 16 playoff teams with 92.4 points per 100 half-court possessions in the postseason. That put them ahead of only the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. Charania noted that the Rockets finished 27th in effective field-goal percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers and 24th in effective field-goal percentage on all jumpers, while Durant led the NBA this season by drilling 50.9% of his off-the-dribble jumpers. In other words, the Rockets could not have found a better fit on paper to fill the offensive hole that ultimately upended them. Granted, it still might have taken some convincing for an up-and-coming team like the Rockets to give up assets for the soon-to-be 37-year-old Durant. He's showing no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by the 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 three-pointers per game that he averaged this past season, but he's also in no way aligned with the developmental timeline of Thompson, Şengün and the Rockets' other young prospects. "For months on end, the message from the Houston Rockets was consistent," Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic wrote after news of the trade broke Sunday. "They had no plans to get into the Kevin Durant business." So, what caused them to change their minds? The Achilles injuries that Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard suffered during the playoffs might have compelled the Rockets to make more of a win-now push. "With Durant leading the way, veteran guard Fred VanVleet expected to return and rising stars Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson on board, the Rockets decided their time is now," Amick and Iko added. Mere hours after news of the Durant trade broke, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton then suffered his own Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. While Haliburton's injury didn't factor into the Rockets' thinking before they pulled the trigger on this deal, it likely removes yet another title hopeful from the mix next season. The Rockets' Time Is Now With Thompson on his rookie-scale contract for two more years, the Rockets have a clear window to take advantage of right now. He's set to earn only $9.7 million this coming season and $12.3 million in 2026-27. If the salary cap continues to increase by 10% every year as expected, he'll be eligible for a five-year, $271.3 million extension that would begin with a $46.8 million salary in the 2027-28 season. If if he makes an All-NBA team or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in 2026-27, his extension could start at $56.1 million and get bumped up to $325.6 million in total. The Rockets' next two years with Thompson could be akin to when NFL teams build around young quarterbacks on rookie-scale deals. The financial savings they gain from paying those players well-below-market prices allows them to splurge on veterans, even if they aren't aligned from a timeline perspective. Amick and Iko reported that Durant "may not sign an extension when he's eligible in July," but "team sources said there is a strong belief that this will be a long-term partnership." Still, Father Time remains undefeated, so "long-term" may only be three or four years at most. However, the league's current collective bargaining agreement may force teams into trying to capitalize on shorter windows rather than extended dynastic runs. Şengün's five-year, $185 million extension and Green's three-year, $105.3 million extension both begin this coming season. Smith and Tari Eason will both become extension-eligible this summer and would have their new deals start in 2026-27, while Thompson will follow suit the following offseason. The Rockets won't be able to pay all of their young players, particularly depending on what they do with VanVleet, whom they have a $44.9 million team option on for the 2025-26 campaign. They figure to decline that option and re-sign him to a multi-year deal with a smaller salary, although it's unclear how low they can get him to drop. Perhaps the acquisition of Durant convinces VanVleet to take a significant pay cut so the Rockets can afford to retain Smith, Eason and Thompson moving forward. Realistically, though, they figure to start shedding depth in the coming years. The next season or two may be their best shot to win a championship with this core. If not for Thompson's breakout this past season, the Rockets might not have been emboldened to cut bait on Green and accelerate their win-now window. But given the flashes he showed during his sophomore campaign and the Achilles injuries that ravaged the Eastern Conference throughout the playoffs this year, it suddenly made more sense for the Rockets to gamble on a star forward who's in no way aligned with the rest of their roster age-wise. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Reed Sheppard to play for Rockets at NBA's 2025 summer league
Report: Reed Sheppard to play for Rockets at NBA's 2025 summer league Reed Sheppard will begin his sophomore NBA campaign with a 2025 summer-league stint for the Rockets, per Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Rockets reportedly remain very optimistic on the future of young guard Reed Sheppard, even after a rookie season in which he played only sparingly. The 20-year-old, University of Kentucky product is expected to play more in his sophomore NBA campaign, and that will likely begin with a summer-league stint in Las Vegas next month. Regarding Sheppard, drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, the Houston Chronicle's Danielle Lerner reports: Speaking of summer league, Sheppard will participate again to prepare for an increased role with the Rockets in his second NBA season. Sheppard earned All-Summer League First Team honors last July. Houston's 2024 summer team was coached by Garrett Jackson, one of Ime Udoka's assistants with the Rockets, and Lerner reports that Jackson could be in line to hold that same position in 2025. However, that role has yet to be finalized. Another one of Udoka's assistants, Ben Sullivan, was the summer-league head coach in 2023 — when Houston went 5-1 and advanced to the championship game. As for 2025 and the summer-league roster around Sheppard, that remains to be seen. Should the Rockets keep their No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the June 25 draft, that rookie would seemingly be in line to play. Among the existing roster, third-year wing Cam Whitmore and second-year center N'Faly Dante would seem to be possibilities, as well. In addition to the No. 10 choice, Houston also owns the No. 59 pick in the second round. Assuming the Rockets keep that selection, that player and any undrafted free agent signings would also be firmly in the mix to be featured on the summer-league squad. The NBA's 2025 summer league will take place from July 10-20 in Las Vegas, with rosters, schedules, game times, and TV details still to be determined. The league waits until after the June draft to finalize its schedules, since teams with highly touted rookies are usually given the lucrative television windows. More: In 2025-26, Rockets reportedly plan to expand Reed Sheppard's role
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Entering 2025 offseason, Rockets urged to ‘level up' the offense
Entering 2025 offseason, Rockets urged to 'level up' the offense Bleacher Report's Dan Favale says Houston can improve its offense via a moderate upgrade, but it's unclear where the rotation minutes would come from. In the recently completed 2024-25 regular season, the Houston Rockets (52-30) had the fourth-best record in the NBA and second-best in the Western Conference. That represented quite a climb from a 41-41 season and the West's No. 11 spot a year earlier, but it still wasn't in the top rung of contenders. So, what held them back? Their defense was consistently rated in the league's top five, but the offense was middle of the pack. When isolated to halfcourt situations, it was often worse than that. During their series-ending loss in Game 7 of a first-round playoff slugfest versus the Golden State Warriors, the Rockets were stuck on 74 points with barely more than two minutes left to play. With that in mind, when it comes to areas needing improvement in the 2025 offseason, it seems pretty clear which side of the ball could use a boost. Bleacher Report's Dan Favale writes: The Rockets are so close. Their defense is hellfire, they have plenty of depth, and unlike other contenders, there's tons of room for internal growth. Whether that internal growth will be enough to level up the offense is a separate matter. Houston ranked 22nd through both the regular season and playoffs in first-chance points scored per possession, according to PBP Stats. The rotation doesn't seem to have a shotmaker and facilitator of the future — unless the Rockets believe Reed Sheppard is that dude and are prepared to unleash him next year. Failing that, they need to work the trade market as soon as free agency begins. Though they have pathways to opening the full mid-level exception ($14.1 million), it should not come at the expense of letting Fred VanVleet (team option) sign elsewhere. The free-agency market is too barren. Star pursuits will dominate headlines. Houston should absolutely be open to one. But improvement can also come in the form of a middle-rung creator and deadeye shooter. It just has to be someone good enough to crack the playoff rotation. The notion of Houston pursuing a star via trade, such as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, has been well chronicled. The more interesting notion is a 'middle-rung creator and deadeye shooter,' and what that might look like from a rotation perspective. The Rockets had eight consistent rotation players in the 2025 playoffs between VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Steven Adams. They would also like to find more minutes in 2025-26 for Sheppard and Cam Whitmore, two talented first-round prospects from the previous two NBA draft cycles. If the Rockets are to trade for a superstar, the question of rotation minutes likely resolves itself, since the Rockets would presumably be sending out as much or more than what they are take in, from a minutes perspective. But to sign or bring in a more moderate upgrade raises questions. Are there any players from the aforementioned eight-man rotation that Houston would trade or reduce minutes for? Would the Rockets further stall the development of Sheppard and/or Whitmore? Might they look to trade one or both of those prospects for future equity, in such as scenario? After all, if a young player doesn't play, he's unlikely to develop and his market value is likely to gradually depreciate. Or, should general manager Rafael Stone simply stay the course and bet on Houston's halfcourt offense to improve organically through the continued development of young players such as Green, Sengun, Thompson, Smith, Eason, Sheppard, and Whitmore? There is certainly a case to look externally for upgrades, but the moderate path through free agency will bring its own set of questions. More: Podcast: Is 2025 the right time for Houston to make a superstar trade?
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA's 2025 summer league set for July 10-20 in Las Vegas
NBA's 2025 summer league set for July 10-20 in Las Vegas Assuming the Rockets keep their No. 10 overall draft pick, the rookie could make his Houston debut at the NBA's 2025 summer league in July. The Houston Rockets will once again participate in the NBA 2K Summer League, which takes place this year from July 10-20, 2025, at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The league's 2025 offseason schedule also includes brief tournaments at the Salt Lake City Summer League and California Classic. However, the Rockets are not among the four teams listed to participate in either of those events. All 30 NBA teams play in the Las Vegas experience, which typically consists of at least five games, per team. The complete schedule, rosters, and broadcast information will be announced in June, with tickets available by visiting Summer rosters are largely comprised of younger players who are looking to turn heads. Some are recent draft picks who are angling for rotation roles in the upcoming season, while others are fighting for G League developmental opportunities. For the Rockets, players from recent draft classes who could be featured include second-year guard Reed Sheppard and third-year wing prospect Cam Whitmore. Houston also currently holds the No. 10 overall selection in the 2025 NBA draft — and if the Rockets keep the pick, the summer showcase would be the first time for that rookie to play in a Houston jersey. The summer-league schedule is not typically released until after each year's draft, since the league decides matchups and television windows in large part based on where the incoming rookie class is drafted. So, stay tuned! The 2025 first round takes place on June 25. Shortly after the draft, each team will finalize its complete summer-league roster and hold a mini-camp in its home market to practice for the games in Las Vegas. Garrett Jackson, an assistant to head coach Ime Udoka with the Rockets, took over the head-coaching duties for Houston at the NBA's 2024 summer league. Ben Sullivan drew that assignment in 2023, when the Rockets advanced to the summer-league championship game. For 2025, Houston's summer-league head coach has yet to be publicly named. More: 2025 NBA mock drafts: Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis frequently linked to Rockets
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
May 2025 update: ESPN ranks Rockets fourth in NBA for future first-round draft assets
With future first-round draft equity held via their own choices and assets from the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets are in a lucrative position. Not only did the Rockets finished with the NBA's fourth-best record (52-30) in the recently completed 2024-25 season, but they also have the fourth-best inventory of future picks, according to May 2025 rankings from ESPN's Bobby Marks and Jeremy Woo. Advertisement That's a unique combination, since most good teams rank near the bottom of future draft rankings. After all, many have had to cash in those types of assets on the trade market in order to land a team of such quality. Additionally, draft picks from winning franchises are often low in each year's order, due to the projected strength of that team's roster. But under general manager Rafael Stone, Houston is in a rare position where it can potentially build a sustainable contender. That's due in large part to an ability to continually supplement its team in place with talented young prospects, with many obtained via high selections from other teams that are struggling. Houston drafted Reed Sheppard at No. 3 in 2024 with a pick obtained from Brooklyn, while its No. 10 selection in 2025 is via Phoenix. Another option, of course, is to eventually trade some of those assets for a marquee veteran acquisition (Giannis Antetokounmpo, anyone?) that can further improve Houston's roster. ESPN's Woo summarizes the outlook: If Sheppard's limited role this season is any indicator, the Rockets' depth and quality means it's not a given that whomever they draft (at No. 10 overall in 2025) will need to play consistent minutes under coach Ime Udoka. Though some roster consolidation will eventually be in order, the Rockets are in a strong situation, holding both future draft capital and emerging young talent. That all suggests that Houston can go whatever direction it wants with this pick, whether that's swinging on the prospect with the most upside (as the Rockets often do), or using it as a trade chip to move the roster closer to contention. Advertisement As things stand, Houston's draft outlook beyond 2025 (per ESPN) features nine future first-round picks; only one outgoing selection (a top-four-protected pick to Oklahoma City in 2026); and seven second-round choices. Factoring in the NBA's Stepien rule, which prevents teams from being without first-round selections in consecutive future drafts, this allows the Rockets to trade as many as five first-round picks in a single deal. However, there are ways to creatively get around that rule, in some circumstances. According to ESPN's list, the only three NBA teams with superior future draft outlooks are the Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1), the Nets (No. 2), and the Utah Jazz (No. 3). The latter two were among the league's worst teams last season. In ESPN's previous rankings from last September (just prior to 2024-25), the Rockets were fifth in the league — trailing the same three teams and San Antonio. However, the Spurs have since fallen to No. 13 after cashing in a number of those future draft assets in a February 2025 trade for De'Aaron Fox. Advertisement More: February 2025 trade deadline update: Rockets' NBA draft assets, protections through 2031 This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ESPN ranks Rockets fourth in NBA for future first-round draft assets
