The Rockets got a late boost, and the Suns made a tough cut, as teams locked in their rosters before Monday’s 5:00 p.m. ET deadline.
Houston converted Oscar Tshiebwe’s deal from an Exhibit 10 into a two-way contract, keeping the former Kentucky center in the organization for the 2026-27 season. That setup lets him suit up for both the Rockets and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Entering his fourth pro season, Tshiebwe has spent most of his NBA time on two-way contracts.
Now 26 and turning 27 next month, Tshiebwe went undrafted after two seasons at Kentucky, where he earned national player of the year honors in his first year. He logged eight games with the Indiana Pacers in 2023-24 before spending the last two seasons with the Utah Jazz, appearing in a combined 41 games.
In the final 19 games of the 2025-26 season, he averaged 9.7 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent. Rebounding has long been his calling card, and he still rates among the best at it anywhere.
In Houston, Tshiebwe joins another former Wildcat in Reed Sheppard, the third-year guard who followed a breakout 2025-26 season after a rough rookie year. The Rockets are aiming at a championship run, and Tshiebwe could carve out backup minutes in the frontcourt.
The Rockets have converted forward Julian Phillips and forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe to two-way contracts.
As for Kentucky’s other former guard in the mix, Koby Brea is out in Phoenix. The Suns waived the sharpshooting guard, making him a free agent once he clears waivers. He had been on a two-way deal and shared the roster with All-Star guard Devin Booker.
Brea spent four seasons at Dayton before finishing at Kentucky, where he stood out as one of college basketball’s top perimeter shooters. That stroke helped push him to No. 41 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Still, most of his rookie year came in the G League with the Valley Suns, and he saw only 12 games with Phoenix, averaging 3.8 points while shooting 43.3 percent from deep.
He has the kind of shooting teams chase, but he hasn’t shown much else that clearly translates yet. Whether another club gives him a chance soon remains to be seen. Teams are always hunting for shooters, and Brea is one of the best.
The Phoenix Suns plan to waive two-way guard Koby Brea, league sources told @hoopshype. Brea shot 43.3% from 3-point range in 12 games with the Suns last season. With center Mark Williams injured to start the season, Phoenix will look to add frontcourt depth on the two-way market
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