The Rockets still have room to keep adding shooting, and Dalton Knecht is the kind of bet that makes sense if he becomes available. If the Lakers move on from him before the season begins, Houston should be ready to pounce. A two-way deal could give the Rockets a chance to take a swing on a player who came into the league with real shooting promise but never found steady footing in Los Angeles.
Knecht has not carved out a regular role through his first two seasons with the Lakers, but that hasn’t erased why he was appealing in the first place. He was selected 17th overall just two years ago, and even at 25, there’s still a path for him to reestablish himself with a different team. For the Rockets, the attraction is obvious: a shooter with pedigree who might benefit from a cleaner fit.
That fit matters. The Lakers have been a tough place for him to settle in, with a poor defensive environment around him and ball-dominant playmakers limiting the kinds of looks and playtypes he can get.
Houston wouldn’t present those same issues if Knecht earned his way onto the main roster. And even before that, he could be a useful piece spending time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League.
The Rockets have one two-way roster spot open, and this would be a neat way to use it. Houston has already seen one of its own former first-round picks turn into a two-way reclamation project, so this would be a chance to return the favor for Knecht.
What makes him worth the gamble is the shooting. The Rockets still need more off-ball firepower even with Fred VanVleet back as the starting point guard. Among younger players on the roster with a real outside shot, Reed Sheppard is the main name, and Houston can’t ask him to carry that whole burden alone.
Knecht at his best gives Houston exactly what it’s looking for. As a rookie, he knocked down 38% of his threes on 4.4 attempts per game.
That kind of production would help most teams, and it would stand out even more in Houston’s current setup. No one else is giving the Rockets that off-the-bench shooting right now besides Sheppard.
Last season brought a dip. Knecht’s three-point rate fell to 34% as his minutes dropped from 19 per game as a rookie to 10 per game in his second season. With steadier run and a better opportunity, he could get back to the shooting stroke he showed in his rookie year and in college.
In Other News...
Rockets Roster Crunch Just Put More Young Players On Notice
The Rockets have started trimming the edges of their roster as the 2026-2027 season approaches, and the latest moves sent Bryce Harris, Cameron Matthews and Caleb McConnell off the books. All three were on Exhibit 10 contracts, the kind of deal that often serves as a bridge to the organizations development system rather than a straight path to the NBA roster.
Houstons current group is already built around more established players, so immediate openings for those young prospects were always going to be hard to find. The more likely next stop is the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where the Rockets can keep the pipeline flowing and give those players a chance to stay in the mix while the big-league roster remains crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Lock In Final Roster Depth Ahead Of Opening Night
The Rockets made their final roster adjustments before opening night, turning Oscar Tshiebwe and Julian Phillips into two-way players as the organization settled on its last bit of depth. Houston will carry three two-way contracts into the season, with Tshiebwe, Phillips and Qadir Copeland filling those spots as the team trims down to its regular-season group.
Sean Pedulla was waived to make the roster math work, leaving Houston with its final look heading into the opener. For a team still sorting out how best to support its core, these end-of-camp moves matter because they shape the pipeline between the NBA club and the developmental side, even if the spotlight is elsewhere once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Opener Puts Ime Udokas Toughest Rotation Calls In Focus
With the Rockets set to open the 2026-27 season against the Mavericks on Oct. 21, the first real test for Ime Udoka is not just game-planning for Dallas but sorting out how his rotation will function right away. Houston has had an extended training camp and a long runway of practices, giving the staff extra time to evaluate roles and combinations before the games start counting.
Udoka made it clear that Reed Sheppard is slated for a significant role, a noteworthy development for a young guard expected to be part of the teams nightly structure. The other part of the equation is health, with Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams both in line to be monitored early because of recent injuries, leaving Houston with a few important decisions to make as it heads into the opener. [Read more 🡒]