Inside The Rockets

Will Rockets Continue to Invest in Jermaine Samuels?

The Houston Rockets must make a decision on Jermaine Samuels.

Jeremy Brener

Sep 30, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jermaine Samuels Jr. (00) during Houston Rockets media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 30, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jermaine Samuels Jr. (00) during Houston Rockets media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets are in the middle of training camp, and it could be the last for third-year pro Jermaine Samuels.

Samuels, 25, went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Villanova and spent his first season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League. Samuels played well enough to warrant a two-way contract out of his second season, one he signed with the Houston Rockets.

Samuels made just 14 appearances in his first season in the NBA with the Rockets, but spent most of his time in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

With Nate Williams, Jack McVeigh and N'Faly Dante occupying the three two-way spots on the team, Samuels' chances of sticking around the NBA roster are slim. He'll have to outplay at least one of them in order to get back on the two-way circuit.

As a 6-6 small forward, Samuels has the right size for the NBA. He can defend multiple positions, but his skills simply aren't on the same level as most of his professional teammates.

The Rockets will give him a shot during training camp, where he could earn his way back on a two-way deal, but as things stand now, we could be approaching the end of Samuels' time in Houston for the next few weeks.

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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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