The #Rockets made their contract agreements official with Jeenathan Williams, Jermaine Samuels Jr., Matthew Mayer, Nate Hinton, and Joshua Obiesie. Here’s a look at each player’s background.
On Thursday, the Houston Rockets confirmed a handful of 2023 free agency deals reached earlier in the week with guard/forward Nate Hinton, forward Matthew Mayer, guard Joshua Obiesie, forward Jermaine Samuels Jr., and guard/forward Nate Williams.
Hinton, Mayer and Samuels played for the Rockets in the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas and helped the team reach the championship game. Houston finished 5-1.
Although NBA rosters are limited to 15 players on standard contracts (and up to three two-way deals) during each regular season, teams can carry up to 21 players in the offseason.
That expanded roster window continues through training camp and the preseason, which allows teams to evaluate various depth options before finalizing their regular-season roster. Teams may also consider many of these players for roles with their G League affiliate (in Houston’s case, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers).
From the team’s announcement, here are further details on the newly signed players along with highlights.
The #Rockets are signing Jeenathan Williams to a training-camp deal, as first reported by HoopsHype’s @MikeAScotto. Williams shot well from 3-point range in both the NBA and G League last season.
The Houston Rockets signed second-year guard Jeenathan Williams to a training-camp deal for the 2023-24 season. The move was first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The move follows a similar agreement reached earlier in the day with German wing Joshua Obiesie.
Now 24 years old, Williams went undrafted in 2022 before signing with the NBA G League’s Salt Lake City Stars. While there, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 14.4 points (52.3% FG, 41.7% on 3-pointers), 4.5 rebounds and 29.8 minutes per game.
That turned enough heads for former University of Buffalo standout to land a brief NBA deal with Portland by the end of the 2022-23 season. In five games with the Trail Blazers, Williams averaged 10.6 points (61.5% FG, 37.5% on 3-pointers), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 25.4 minutes per game. He became a free agent during the 2023 offseason.
During the 2022 pre-draft process, Williams had drawn praise from analysts for his length, position versatility and defensive upside.
Sources: The Rockets have agreed to a one-year deal with Jeenathan Williams, @hoopshype has learned. He’ll compete for a roster spot after averaging 10.6 points in 25.3 minutes in five games with the Trail Blazers last season. Williams is represented by Billy Davis of @foasports_
Each offseason, NBA teams can carry up to 20 players on their roster through training camp and the preseason. The Rockets offloaded several players near the end of their bench as part of salary clearing moves in 2023 free agency, so Houston’s roster, at the moment, is far below that 20-player limit.
Thus, expect a handful of similar deals to be announced in the weeks leading to early October. Players from Houston’s strong 2023 summer-league run may also be considered.
Should they play well enough, Houston will certainly consider any player in camp for spots on its final regular-season roster (up to 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals). However, many players on camp contracts could also be considered for a spot with the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.
After an extremely busy 2023 free agency, here’s an updated look at the #Rockets roster and salaries entering the 2023-24 NBA season.
When we last saw the Houston Rockets play a regular-season game in April, they were one of the NBA’s youngest teams and directed by a relatively unproven head coach in Stephen Silas.
The situation has changed significantly in the months since. Ime Udoka replaced Silas as head coach and brought in his own staff of assistants, while general manager Rafael Stone spent more than $60 million in 2023 free agency to sign veteran players Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and Jock Landale.
Those veterans will surround Houston’s young core of Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr., Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and newly drafted 2023 rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
As of early August, here’s an updated look at where things stand with the Rockets’ coaching staff and roster of players entering the 2023-24 NBA season. Many of the team’s newcomers will not have their jersey numbers revealed until closer to training camp, which is scheduled to start in early October.
Height and weight information is from NBA.com, while salary details are from HoopsHype figures. Ages are as of Aug. 1, 2023.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.
While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.
Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.
For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.
Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.
Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.
We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.
We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.
While there is nothing final about our projections, now that those lists are finalized we know the names of the most notable players who have declared for the draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility.
These prospects, who are all classified as “testing the waters” at this point, are the ones facing the toughest decision for their pro future but may have more clarity now than they did during the college basketball season.
