The Rockets flapped a wing Bryce Harrisforward Cameron Matthewsand a security guard Caleb McConnelltrans NBA.com Official Transaction Log.
All three players came out Exhibition 10 contracts and is expected to end up with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. They will be eligible for bonuses worth up to $91,000 if they spend at least 60 days with the Vipers.
After today’s cuts, the Rockets have 18 players under contract, but only two of those 18 have two-way deals, meaning the team will have to make at least one more move before Monday’s deadline to make regular-season rosters. Houston has 12 players with fully guaranteed contracts Jae Sean Tate under a partially guaranteed transaction, Isaiah Crawford on a non-guaranteed transaction, and Oscar Tibwe and Julian Phillips still in appendix 10 contracts.
Either Tshiebwe or Phillips is likely to be turned into a two-way deal on or before Monday. If the Rockets go that route, it could end up being their only transaction, as they could simply move another player from the Exhibit 10 to a standard non-guaranteed contract and enter the season with a full 15-man roster.
However, the Rockets are operating just $14K below the luxury tax threshold, and keeping a 15th man would push them into tax territory, so the expectation was that they would leave the final cap space open before the start of the season.
If the Rockets waive a non-guaranteed player on Sunday or Monday, they will receive a small amount; to avoid this, they could move either Tshiebwe or Phillips in a two-way deal, then waive that player and convert another one to two-way transaction. We’ll know what Houston’s plan is by Monday.
