Rockets Complete Roster Adjustments Ahead of Season Opener

The Houston Rockets have finalized their roster ahead of the NBA regular season’s opening game. On Monday, October 19, the team announced the conversion of Oscar Tshiebwe and Julian Phillips to two-way contracts. To accommodate these moves, the Rockets waived Sean Pedulla.

This shift comes after Tshiebwe earned the G League Rookie of the Year title, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game. Phillips, previously with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, averaged 2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game. Pedulla, the 2026 G League Rookie of the Year, was released despite a solid performance last season, where he averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.

With these moves, the Rockets have a total of four players waived in recent days. They are set to begin their regular season against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, October 21, having faced off in China earlier this month. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has expressed ambitious goals for the season, signaling the team’s readiness to make a significant impact.