What’s Ahead For Reed Sheppard In 2024-2025?
When the Houston Rockets rolled into the draft lottery expected to come away with the ninth overall selection in the 2024 draft, they probably didn't think they would enter next season with a high impact contributor. But their ping pong balls catapulted them all the way up to third where they were able to select Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard on draft night. Fans were enthusiastic enough about Sheppard, the sweet shooting playmaker with off-the-chart advanced statistics, but they came away even more bullish after a dazzling Summer League performance this summer during which he put his full repertoire on display.
Sheppard showed both range and deftness from the mid-range, both with a floater and pull-up jumpshot, but most importantly, he showed that he is probably a point guard at the NBA level.
Such a development has major impact upon Houston's roster construction and rebuild for numerous reasons, chief among them being the contract status of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet. The Rockets have a club option on VanVleet's contract next summer and if they opt to not exercise it, they could potentially open up a massive amount of cap space next summer to pursue an impact free agent. One name recently rumored to be targeted is Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon. Thus, it's in the Rockets' interests that the young point guard prospects on the roster quickly develop in time to take the baton, with Sheppard being the most promising of them.
So what's ahead for Sheppard in 2024-2025? In what came as a bit of a surprise, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone brought back veteran guard Aaron Holiday this past summer, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $9.56 million contract. While its likely that the purpose of the deal was for later use as trade filler in a mid-season deal, it wouldn't surprise anyone if Holiday starts the season ahead of Sheppard on the depth chart. Holiday is a steady hand who can knock down the open shot and brings defensive tenacity. But the hope is that Sheppard, the far superior talent, eventually supplants Holiday and cements a role in head coach Ime Udoka's rotation.
Could Sheppard supplant VanVleet as early as next season? It's a very far-fetched scenario as VanVleet was essentially Houston's best player in 2023-2024; at times, it appeared as though they could not win without him. But if Sheppard surprises beyond all reasonable expectations, it could open up very interesting scenarios for the Rockets heading into the trade deadline. Given the team option on VanVleet's contract, with expecting earnings of $42.85 million next season, VanVleet is essentially an expiring contract. That means Houston could take somewhere in that ballpark dollar amount back in a trade.
The likely bet though is that Sheppard is a solid contributor off the bench, leading an impressive Houston second unit also featuring sophomores Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, providing spacing and shooting to a roster in desperate need of both last season. While the Rockets would be thrilled with more, they'll be grateful to get just that from their incoming rookie.
