Houston Rockets Roster
- Western Southwest
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- Toyota Center
Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson injured his ankle during his first Summer League action and was shut down immediately afterward. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the rookie guard is healthy again and he'll be ready to go when training camp rolls around. He's expected to be a big part of this team's future and he's been working on his shooting leading up to his first season. The two main areas of his game that he's worked on already are the weaknesses that were pointed out on draft day. His shooting and pace of play need fine-tuned, and the Rockets' coaches are already on top of it,
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was recently arrested for reportedly assaulting his girlfriend. The 23-year-old is expected to have legal consequences and the NBA is likely to punish Porter after the legal investigation is over. In wake of this, the Rockets are attempting to trade Porter and draft compensation in exchange for an immediate impact player. It's tough to imagine any organization trading for Porter after this incident. The Rockets are trying to get something with Porter's career in jeopardy, but it's unlikely that any team bites on this.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is on the right "path" with his development, according to general manager Rafael Stone, who recently watched him play for Turkey in a pre-Olympic pre-qualifying tournament. "Alpi is on the path we want him to be on. I thought he was moving really, really well," Stone said. "I thought his decision-making was good. I liked his defensive effort, overall. Sengun looked brilliant at times for the Rockets last season, and Stone expects him to develop further in 2023-24. "With all our young guys, not just Alpi, we are expecting and demanding constant improvement. I thought he looked really good. I was really happy with it. And he's been in the gym. He's in really good shape. And he's really excited to get going, too." The talented big man averaged 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists during his second NBA season, so he's already become somebody fantasy managers must keep an eye on.
Houston Rockets guard/forward Dillon Brooks helped Canada win bronze at the World Cup with excellent work at both ends of the floor, but his performance didn't come as a surprise for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. Stone has been previously criticized for handing out a four-year, $80 million contract to Brooks. "I'm really happy for Dillon," Stone told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. "Largely, he's the player that we thought we were signing. So, it's not at all surprising. But it's great. And more so than any player I can really remember in recent memory, there's a narrative about him that's odd and wrong. And I think kind of the whole world over the last week has kind of owned that he's a really good basketball player." Brooks averaged 15.1 points in 27.0 minutes at the tournament with 59.2 percent shooting and picked up 1.3 steals per game while earning the Best Defensive Player award. The former Memphis man is now expected to continue where he left off in the upcoming NBA campaign.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski believes Houston Rockets guard/forward Kevin Porter Jr.'s future is "very much in peril" following Monday's arrest. While Houston cannot suspend or release him while the NBA conducts an investigation, the 23-year-old is certainly in a precarious position. Commissioner Adam Silver could elect to put Porter on administrative leave during this time, as the assault allegations against him don't sound good at all. KPJ's checkered past also includes "personal conduct issues" from his USC days and a locker room outburst during his Cleveland Cavaliers career. Fantasy managers drafting at this stage might want to consider steering clear of the mercurial combo guard with anything besides a late-round pick despite nearly recording top-50 roto value a year ago.
