Rockets' Reed Sheppard Cited as One of Most Intriguing Players in Summer League

On Thursday, the NBA officially kicked off the NBA 2K26 Las Vegas Summer League, giving fans their first look at the league's newest draftees. It's also become commonplace for other players around the league to utilize the Summer League as an opportunity to sharpen their skills, especially if they had a minimal role in their rookie season.

Case in point, Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, who the Rockets selected third overall in the 2024 NBA Draft and are bringing to Vegas once more for his second Summer League stint.

Sheppard starred in last year’s Summer League games, averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 57 percent true shooting, en route to making All-Summer League First-Team. 

The Kentucky product was cited by Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor as one of the league's most intriguing players to watch this summer.

"The Rockets held Sheppard out of trade discussions with the Suns for Kevin Durant, and that’s in part because they envision him playing a big role next season. Sheppard didn’t play a lot last year, but showed incredible flashes, scoring 25 against Oklahoma City and 49 against the OKC Blue. He’s a 6-2 guard with an elite jumper, a sneaky midrange game and fantastic defensive playmaking skills. Houston has a high floor given the existing talent on the roster, but if Sheppard goes boom in Year 2, then suddenly the Fred VanVleet contract looks like a mentor tax."

Sheppard, who made 52.1 percent of his long-range attempts in college, is expected to take on a heavier role for the Rockets in 2025-26, as they'll surely be relying on his 3-point shooting. The Rockets ranked 21st in 3-point shooting last season, as they made 35.3 percent of their long-range attempts. 

The team also didn't add any 3-point specialists this offseason. Sheppard and the Rockets will take the court for the first time in Vegas on Friday at 9 PM CST, facing off against the Los Angeles Clippers, which will be aired on NBA TV.

Their remaining schedule is below:

• July 13th: Detroit Pistons at 3 PM (ESPN2)
• July 14th: Atlanta Hawks at 3:30 PM (NBATV)
• July 17th: Portland Trail Blazers at 7 PM (NBATV)