Reed Sheppard Talks Kevin Durant, Overall Game in NBA Summer League Interview

"I think the biggest thing this summer was getting in the weight room and [getting better] defensively," Sheppard said. "Just working on defense. We probably had a two-to-three-week stretch where my workouts were just straight defense, I wasn’t touching the basketball the first 40 minutes."

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone noted that the 6-foot-2 guard will need to step up this season, especially due to Houston having a limited guard rotation. Sheppard, Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson could be a three-guard rotation for the team, which means the Kentucky product will have to step up off the bench.

Sheppard also talked about the Kevin Durant trade, perhaps the biggest storyline of the offseason. After weeks of negotiating, the Rockets managed to keep Sheppard out of the deal, instead sending Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and picks to the Phoenix Suns. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Houston viewed Sheppard as "untouchable."

Ime Udoka and the rest of Houston's staff have continuously raved about Sheppard's game and development over the last year or so, so it makes sense that he was off the table in trade talks. When asked about his thoughts on Charania's report, Sheppard said it's motivation for the upcoming season.

"I think it's really cool," Sheppard said. "For me, this was my first year dealing with all of the offseason, the trades, so it's kind of crazy seeing all of it go down. But like you said, hearing some of that stuff is pretty cool, it gives me a lot of confidence, just going into the gym, continuing to work on everything I've been working on this summer."