Bruce Thornton
The Rockets traded into Thornton in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft, and the Rockets immediately got some nice surprises in Summer League from the 6’2” point guard. During his performance in Vegas this summer, Thornton averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assist, 2.6 steals, and 40 percent from the three-point line. He had big scoring nights of 27 and 23. The issue for the 23-year-old from Ohio State is that the Rockets suddenly have a crowded point guard room. Fred VanVleet is back in the fold,
Reed Sheppard will be looking for more minutes this year, Marcus Smart was signed as a free agent, and Amen Thompson can also play some point guard as well. Point guard minutes might be tough to come by. But the rookie has some downhill playmaking chops that the Rockets currently lack, and if he can prove himself stout enough defensively, there’s still a chance to get on the court for Ime Udoka.
Oscar Tshiebwe
Tshiebwe signed with the Rockets this past summer after spending his previous two seasons with the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz organizations. He was a two-way player at both organizations, spending time with the G League affiliates and with the varsity. The 6’8” center, despite being undersized, is a voracious rebounder, so he will fit right in alongside Steven Adams in Houston’s center rotation. In 2024, Tshiebwe earned G League Rookie of the Year after setting a new league record for rebounding, averaging 16.2 boards per night that year. His combined stats for his two seasons in the G League are 14.5 points, 16 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks. He shot 56 percent from the field. However, being that he is more of a traditional center, he’s not much for floor-spacing shooting. He also got some extended run in the Association for the Jazz last year, playing in 27 games for Utah and averaging 16.6 minutes per night. He brought in averages of 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 61.3 percent shooting. With the Rockets organization seemingly reluctant to play Clint Capela more (he might be cooked), Tshiebwe could find himself with some back up center minutes. Especially if the oft-injured Adams happens to go down again.
