Amid a heavy focus on winning and with limited minutes to spare, the Houston Rockets have assigned rookie guard Reed Sheppard to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their NBA G League affiliate. Selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft, the 20-year-old Kentucky alum began the season as Houston's backup point guard but struggled early with his shooting (32.2% from the field, 27.9% on three-pointers). Given Houston's strong 23-12 record and position near the top of the Western Conference standings, head coach Ime Udoka has less incentive to give major minutes to developmental projects.
Instead of letting Sheppard sit on the bench with limited playing time, the Rockets believe he'll gain more from consistent opportunities—even if it's at the G League level. The move mirrors an earlier decision to send second-year forward Cam Whitmore (also 20) to the Vipers. Udoka and company can recall Sheppard at any point, but for now, veteran Aaron Holiday becomes the primary backup guard off the Houston bench.