Could Rockets Add Former VCU Sharpshooter in Free Agency?

One nail that will not stop getting hammered until the Rockets fix the problem is the need for shooters on their team.

While they had a tremendous run this season led by All-Star center Alperen Sengun, their No. 2-seeded playoff run was cut short in the first round by the Golden State Warriors.

The young core of Houston put up a decent battle against the veteran team, but ultimately they could not get shots to fall behind the arc which put them in a bind.

Their team is set up to continue to compete for playoff contention in the future, they are just missing a couple of key role pieces like a sharpshooter with tons of range.

Insert future free agent Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland. Hyland is currently signed to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are in the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and while Hyland has yet to see any playing time, he'll still have to wait for the Wolves' season to end before he can entertain any team's offers.

Hyland started the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers appearing in 20 games, before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks, who decided to waive the 24-year-old guard after acquiring him. He found a two-way contract with Minnesota, spending time with their G League Iowa Wolves team for the second half of the season.

Per ESPN Research, Hyland ranks in the top five for steals per 36 minutes this season among players who played 200+ minutes. The former two-time rising star also averaged 17.7 points in three games where he played at least 20 minutes during his time with Los Angeles this season.

He also left the Clippers on a career high percentage behind the arc logging 39% before finding a home for the rest of the year in Minnesota.

The Rockets seemingly will be in a position to take the best player available during the NBA Draft in June, while also looking for additions on the free agent market for low contract value.

Hyland will be coming off a two-way contract, so his value will be at a very low rate if the Rockets are looking to require a solid shooter for their bench. Potentially, the Rockets could add Hyland for under $1.5 million on a short-term contract for the shooter's services.