The Rockets have two more 6-foot-6 wings in the mix for 2026-2027, and both fit the same basic mold Ime Udoka keeps leaning on: defense first, offense later.
Julian Phillips is the newer name in Houston. He signed with the Rockets in the offseason after being taken by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Phillips spent two and a half seasons in Chicago before getting dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves at last year’s deadline, then joined the Rockets as a free agent this past summer. At 22, he brings the kind of length and athleticism that can make him useful right away on the defensive end.
The offensive side is still a work in progress, though. Phillips has shot 43.5 percent from the field for his career and 32 percent from three, and he’s also had trouble creating his own looks.
Even so, he’s the type of long, lanky wing defender Houston can plug into a matchup when it needs another body on the perimeter. He’s averaging 3.6 points in 11 minutes per night over his career, but for Udoka, that defensive value is what keeps a player in the conversation.
Isaiah Crawford is cut from a similar cloth, but he’s already had a little time in the system. The 6-foot-6 small forward spent last season with the Rockets after his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings.
He entered the league undrafted in 2024 after a decorated run at Louisiana Tech, where he won both Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Crawford hasn’t seen much action with the main roster, but he did produce in Rio Grande Valley last year, posting 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from deep.
He’s 24, so the long-term ceiling may not be limitless, but Houston knows what it has: a capable option who fits the job description if injuries force the issue. Barring that kind of opening, Crawford doesn’t look headed for heavy minutes this season, but he’s another clean match for what Udoka wants out of a wing.
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Sengun remains the starter at center, and the question around him is less about whether he can score and more about whether he can anchor enough possessions defensively to raise the ceiling of the whole group. The Rockets are counting on improvement there, because if he can become a more reliable rim protector, it could change the way the entire defense plays and open the door to something more than just respectable regular-season numbers. [Read more 🡒]