The Rockets are signing Khyri Thomas, a second-round pick from the NBA’s 2018 draft, as first reported by The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. It will be a 10-day contract, the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen reports.
Thomas was drafted No. 38 overall in 2018 by Philadelphia before being traded to Detroit. Now 24 years old, Thomas has played sparingly in the NBA but has flourished as a sharpshooter in the G League, where he averaged 17.7 points per game on 44.5% 3-point shooting. On average, Thomas took 6.3 shots per game from 3-point range in the G League, so it would certainly appear to be a sufficient sample.
Thomas is also well-regarded for his on-ball defense. During his college basketball career at Creighton, the 6-foot-3 guard was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
The Houston Rockets plan to sign former Pistons guard Khyri Thomas, league sources tell myself and @Rockets_Insider.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) May 5, 2021
The Rockets (16-49) have seven games remaining in the 2020-21 season, which will allow them to get a look at evaluating Thomas within their system before the season’s conclusion on May 16. Should he make a positive impression, the Rockets could use portions of their mid-level exceptions to retain him.
In 34 career NBA regular-season appearances, Thomas has averaged 2.3 points in a meager 7.6 minutes per game. In three brief outings during the 2019 playoffs, Thomas averaged 4.7 points in 5.0 minutes.
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