Less than four days after his surprising release, rookie guard Mason Jones is already back with the Rockets. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Houston is signing Jones to a 10-day contract.
In effect, Jones is taking the roster spot of DeMarcus Cousins, who was released in late February. Jones was previously on a two-way contract, but the team gave that slot to fellow rookie Anthony Lamb.
Jones’ return to the Rockets appears to be less by design and more a function of necessity. Thanks to recent injuries to John Wall and Eric Gordon, Houston is severely short-handed in the backcourt — and Jones is a better fit than most free agents to immediately fill minutes, since he already knows the ins and outs of Stephen Silas’ system.
If Jones takes advantage of the opportunity and plays well, there would certainly seem to be a path for the 6-foot-4 guard to eventually have the deal converted to a standard contract. In limited playing time thus far, Jones is averaging 5.5 points (43.7% FG, 36.7% on 3-pointers) and 2.1 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game.
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The Houston Rockets are signing Mason Jones to a 10-day contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 12, 2021
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