Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets Two-Way Player N'Faly Dante Has Been a Force in the G League

Houston Rockets two-way player N'Faly Dante is showing everyone why he should have a role on next year's Rockets team.

Lachard Binkley

Rio Grande Valley Vipers
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Over the years, the Houston Rockets and other NBA teams have used the two-way contract to their advantage. The two-way contract gives teams the ability to keep a player on the team who may not get much time on the NBA roster but can play for the team's G League affiliate.

The Rockets currently have three players on two-way contracts. Forward Jack McVeigh, combo forward David Roddy, who the Vipers traded for this season, and rookie center N'Faly Dante. The 23-year-old former Oregon Duck has made an impression not only for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers but, at times, the Rockets.

Over the years, the Vipers have been one of the best G League franchises in the NBA. Since their inception in 2007, the Vipers have won four G League championships, with their last championship coming in 2022. The Vipers are in the midst of another successful regular season as they clinched their ninth straight playoff spot with the help of Dante, who finished with a 20-point, 20-rebound performance.

Dante's dominant performance shouldn't be surprising, as the big man is having the best season of his young career. As the Rockets rested several key players early this season, Dante stepped up and had the best NBA game of his career when he scored ten points, pulled down nine rebounds, and had two blocks in only 19 minutes.

Dante's impact in the NBA has been limited due to a lack of playing time, but that hasn't been the case for the Vipers. Dante has been one of the driving forces behind the Vipers clinching another playoff spot this season.

Dante is currently first in field goal percentage, fifth in rebounding, and sixth in blocked shots. Dante has provided the Vipers with a big man who can run the floor, block shots and crash the boards. At 6-foot-11, Dante is a force in the paint.

Dante has been excelling on the court since his days at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. Dante's play in high school made him a five-star recruit and the No. 1 prospect out of Kanas in 2019.

Dante had a rocky start to his career at Oregon due to no fault of his own. He was ineligible to start the 2019-20 season because the NCAA missed his clearance date. Once Dante was able to get on the court, he suffered a torn ACL in December 2020.

Despite the rough start to his college career, Dante finished his Oregon career making the All-Pac-12 first team twice and the Pac-12 defensive team in his senior year. Dante would go undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft before the Rockets signed him to a two-way contract on July 9, 2024.

Even though Dante is ineligible for the playoffs as a two-way player, his ability to play above the rim, block shots and crash the boards is the exact reason why he should be on the Rockets roster next season.

Dante has a great opportunity to showcase his skills further in the G League playoffs that start April 1.

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Lachard Binkley
LACHARD BINKLEY

Lachard is a lifelong Houstonian who has followed the Rockets since the 80s. He is a credential reporter covering the Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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