Tag: Nate Williams

Rockets re-sign Nate Williams to another two-way contract

Reserve guard Nate Williams is back with the Rockets after signing another two-way contract for the 2024-25 NBA season.

Shortly after presenting a two-way qualifying offer to free agent Nate Williams, the 25-year-old is back with the Houston Rockets after signing a two-way deal for the 2024-25 season.

The team announced the news on Wednesday night, adding that Williams is likely to compete in next week’s summer league. The Rockets open play on Friday, July 12 in a nationally televised ESPN game versus Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

During the 2023-24 season, Williams appeared in 22 games as a two-way player for the Rockets. Per 36 minutes played, he averaged 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 54.0% overall. Williams also played in 11 G League games while transferred to Houston’s affiliate club, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, where he averaged 16.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Williams finished with a flourish, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting (66.7%) in a road game versus the Los Angeles Clippers. Those numbers came during Houston’s season-closing win on April 14.

While he averaged only 5.9 minutes per game in the NBA last season, perhaps that strong season-ending performance helped make the case for another go in the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

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NBA G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers finalize 2023-24 training camp roster

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, the NBA G League Affiliate of the Houston Rockets, have finalized their 2023-24 training camp roster.

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, the NBA G League Affiliate of the Houston Rockets, finalized their 2023-24 training camp roster. RGV’s full schedule, which begins Nov. 10, is available here.

According to the team, the Vipers’ training camp roster includes returning players from the 2022-23 season: Trhae Mitchell (fourth season), Ray Spalding (fourth season), Shawn Occeus (fourth season), Josh Reaves (third season), Darius Days (second season), Jalen Lecque (second season) and Jarrett Culver (second season).

Also joining the Vipers’ training camp roster is Latvia native and forward Ricards Vanags, who was selected as the No. 10 pick during the G League’s 2023-24 international draft.

During the 2023 NBA G League draft, the Vipers selected forward Kyree Walker with the No. 62 pick. After the draft, the Vipers acquired Keyshawn Bryant from the Windy City Bulls.

RGV’s training camp roster stands at 18 and can be found below. It includes three players — Nate Hinton, Jermaine Samuels Jr. and Nate Williams — on two-way contracts with the Rockets.

Name Pos. HT WT School Status
Keyshawn Bryant F 6-6 190 South Florida Trade
Jarrett Culver G 6-6 195 Texas Tech Returning
Darius Days F 6-8 240 LSU Affiliate
Nate Hinton F 6-5 210 University of Houston Two-way
Bo Hodges  G 6-5 210 Butler Tryout
John Knight III  G 6-3 205 Southern Utah Tryout
Jalen Lecque G 6-4 185 — Returning
Matthew Mayer F 6-9 225 University of Illinois Affiliate
Trhae Mitchell F 6-6 195 South Alabama Returning
Joshua Obiesie F 6-6 196 — Affiliate
Shawn Occeus  F 6-4 210 Northeastern Returning
Josh Reaves G 6-5 214 Penn State Returning
Alex Reese C 6-9 245 Alabama Tryout
Jermaine Samuels F 6-7 230 Villanova Two-way
Ray Spalding F 6-10 215 Louisville Returning
Ricards Vanags F 6-8 182 — International Draft
Kyree Walker  F 6-7 215 — Draft
Jeenathan “Nate” Williams Jr. G 6-5 205 University at Buffalo Two-way

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Two-way changes: Rockets add Nate Williams, Nate Hinton; drop Trevor Hudgins, Darius Days

Nate Williams and Nate Hinton are replacing Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins as the recipients of Houston’s final two-way contract slots for the 2023-24 season.

Reserve guard Nate Williams had an encouraging preseason for the Houston Rockets, averaging 8.6 points (63.3% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers) and 2.8 rebounds in just 10.2 minutes per game.

Thus, as the Rockets finalize their roster for the 2023-24 regular season, it should come as no surprise that Williams is part of it.

Williams and Nate Hinton, who played a key role on Houston’s successful 2023 summer-league team, are replacing Trevor Hudgins and Darius Days as Houston’s final two-way contract players.

Each NBA team can carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which allow the player to play in up to 50 of 82 regular-season games while going back and forth between the NBA and G League (Houston’s affiliate is the Rio Grande Valley Vipers).

Though Hudgins and Days are no longer in Houston’s immediate plans, they could become candidates for roles with the Vipers, assuming they are not claimed on waivers by another NBA team.

Jermaine Samuels Jr. — like Hinton, a young and versatile forward — continues to hold the third two-way spot with the Rockets.

Because the G League season has yet to begin, all three prospects are expected to be with Houston when its regular season opens on Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Orlando. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets finalize roster for NBA’s 2023-24 regular season

With Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Darius Days, and Trevor Hudgins among the final cuts, here’s our look at the official #Rockets roster for the NBA’s 2023-24 season.

As with all NBA teams, the Houston Rockets had to trim their roster by Monday’s deadline for the 2023-24 regular season. Teams can carry up to 21 players during the offseason, training camp and preseason, but that number falls to a maximum of 15 standard contracts and three two-way deals once the season begins.

The Rockets (training camp roster) began that process last week by waiving young prospects Matthew Mayer and Nate Hinton. Those players could soon be candidates for roles with Houston’s NBA G League affiliate club, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.

On Monday, Houston made a series of other moves:

Hinton and Samuels were part of Houston’s extremely successful team (5-1, runner-up finish) in the NBA’s 2023 summer league.

It’s important to remember that because the Rockets finished with the league’s second-worst record (22-60) last season, Houston is very high on the waiver claim order prior to the 2023-24 season. Thus, general manager Rafael Stone will have high priority if the Rockets like someone who was released as part of another team’s cuts. That could potentially prompt another move later in the week.

For now, here’s where Houston’s roster stands to start the 2023-24 regular season, which opens on Oct. 25 in Orlando. Career statistics and biography information are available at rockets.com.

The 2023-24 Rockets are led by new head coach Ime Udoka.

Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. leads Rockets in short-handed loss to Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs

Jabari Smith Jr. led the short-handed #Rockets with 20 points (50% FG) in 24 minutes, but Houston still suffered its first preseason loss on Wednesday in San Antonio.

In Monday’s exhibition loss to the Rockets, the Spurs gave top rookie Victor Wembanyama and talented young guard Devin Vassell a night off for planned maintenance.

In Wednesday’s rematch in the same building, both returned and made a clear impact in San Antonio’s 117-103 victory (box score) over a short-handed Houston side.

Vassell was electric with a game-high 25 points in only 25 minutes, shooting 8-of-14 from the field (57.1%) and 5-of-10 on 3-pointers (50%).

Wembanyama added 15 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes, although Jabari Smith Jr. offered capable defense to help limit the French phenom to 3-of-10 shooting (30%).

Though Wembanyama and Vassell returned for the Spurs, Jalen Green (toenail) and Tari Eason (left lower leg contusion) remained out for the Rockets. Houston veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green sat out to rest. Those absences, coupled with a nearly full-strength San Antonio squad, led to Houston’s first loss under Ime Udoka, whose team is 3-1 in the 2023-24 preseason. The Spurs are 2-2.

On offense, Smith led the way with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting (50%) and 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.6%). The second-year forward grabbed 5 rebounds and hit 4-of-4 free throws over 24 minutes.

Rookie wing Cam Whitmore had 17 points, 6 rebounds and a game-high 6 steals in 30 minutes for the Rockets, though he shot just 4-of-15 overall (26.7%) and 1-of-7 on 3-pointers (14.3%). Veteran forward Jae’Sean Tate added 13 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes on 4-of-8 shooting (50%) and 1-of-2 from 3-point range (50.0%).

Nate Williams had 19 points and 8 rebounds off the Houston bench in 23 minutes, shooting 8-of-15 (53.3%) overall.

Here are highlights and interviews from Wednesday, along with reaction by media members and fans. Houston will conclude its exhibition slate on Friday night with a home game versus Miami.