Inside The Rockets

Nate Hinton Has One More Chance to Impress Rockets

Houston Rockets forward Nate Hinton is on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Jeremy Brener

Feb 14, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Nate Hinton (14) and Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) battle for a loose ball during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Feb 14, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Nate Hinton (14) and Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) battle for a loose ball during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets forward Nate Hinton and the rest of the team are getting ready for training camp, which begins today.

Hinton is on an Exhibit 10 deal, which only guarantees his spot on the team for training camp, but a spot on the team during the regular season isn't guaranteed.

Hinton, 25, played in 15 games for the Rockets last season in his fourth year in the NBA. However, a strong training camp could land Hinton a spot on the team moving forward.

The Rockets have an open roster spot after AJ Griffin suddenly retired, which could go to Hinton or a player that's on a two-way deal, like N'Faly Dante, Jack McVeigh or Nate Williams. The Rockets could also give one of the two-way players a standard contract, and place Hinton on a two-way deal like he was last season.

Hinton makes sense as a fit for the roster given his experience under coach Ime Udoka from last season, but he is going to have to continue to show his progress. He'll be competing alongside second-year pro Jermaine Samuels Jr. and the two-way players above for a spot on the team moving forward, and the Rockets won't be able to keep everyone.

Chances are, Hinton will end up in the G League this season. The question remains whether it is with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers or elsewhere.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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