The Houston Rockets open their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League run tonight, and all eyes are on the player they brought in with the first pick of the second round: Bruce Thornton.
The game is set for 5:30 PM CST at Pavillion in Las Vegas, and it will air on ESPN2. Unlike last summer, Houston has a draft pick in the mix, and Thornton is the headliner.
The Rockets landed him through a trade with the New York Knicks, though they may not be in position to keep working that part of the draft for long. They do not have any more second-round picks in upcoming seasons, while the Charlotte Hornets reportedly have 20, a stash that has become valuable trade currency around the league.
Thornton arrives as a 22-year-old senior from Ohio State, after drawing interest from other major programs, including Jabari Smith’s Auburn. Houston views him as an analytics darling, and the appeal is pretty clear: he’s a polished three-level scorer with the kind of build and power that bring to mind Jalen Brunson and Kyle Lowry.
If he turns into anything close to that, the Rockets will have hit big. Even a steady bench role would make this a strong second-round outcome.
If he simply hangs around and carves out an NBA spot, that’s still a win. If not, well, that’s the usual second-round gamble.
Thornton should also be ready for the Summer League setting. As a four-year college player and a scoring point guard, he fits the kind of player who can stand out in the league’s messy, unscripted games. Houston’s offense can look that way too when it isn’t predictable and easy to guard, so this is a useful early test.
The Rockets also have another name worth watching in Qudir Copeland, a college senior who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent. Copeland was projected by some to sneak into the late second round, but instead he ended up going undrafted.
He brings good size for a guard, along with rebounding, decent defense, a decent handle and a high-effort approach. The concern is his shot: he doesn’t shoot especially well, and he doesn’t shoot all that often either.
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