Rockets add guard Sean Pedulla on a two-way contract, using Houston’s final available slot

The Houston Rockets have reached an agreement with guard Sean Pedulla on a two-way contract, a move that gives the organization one more roster pathway between the NBA and the team’s G League affiliate. Pedulla, 23, becomes part of Houston’s final available two-way slot, joining Quadir Copeland and Tristen Newton as the other players currently filling those designated spots.

According to Pedulla’s agent, George Langberg, the agreement reflects the team’s plan to evaluate a developing guard in real time through both levels of competition. Two-way contracts are specifically structured to allow a player to spend time with an NBA club while also playing for its G League team, which can be especially valuable for guards still trying to carve out an NBA role.

Pedulla enters the deal after an extensive college career that included four seasons, three at Virginia Tech and one at Mississippi. He was not selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, a detail that frames this as a second-chance route to the league, one that often depends on translating shooting, ball-handling, and decision-making from the developmental circuit into NBA minutes when opportunities open up.

His most recent professional momentum came through the G League. In February, Pedulla signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after succeeding with Portland’s G League club, the Rip City Remix. The Yahoo Sports report says he earned G League Rookie of the Year honors, posting averages of 20.3 points and 4.5 assists while also shooting effectively during that run. That combination, a scoring guard who can also create for teammates, is typically what teams look for when deciding how a two-way player might fit into their rotation.

At 6-foot-1, Pedulla profiles as a smaller guard. Yahoo notes that he does not appear to have a clear straight-line route to regular NBA playing time next season given Houston’s existing backcourt mix. The Rockets’ return guards include Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Fred VanVleet, and Houston has also added guard depth through other offseason moves. The report further states that Houston acquired Bruce Thornton with the 31st pick in the 2026 draft and added Marcus Smart in free agency, both of which, at least on paper, increase competition among smaller lineups and secondary creator roles.

That context makes Pedulla’s two-way assignment more of a “prove-it” season than a guaranteed path to a steady NBA assignment. The Rockets can use him to test how a scoring-minded guard performs against G League defenses while also assessing how his shot-making and playmaking translate in short NBA stretches. For Pedulla, the key will be showing he can run an offense without losing efficiency, defend well enough in guard matchups, and convert his offensive strengths into consistent minutes when the team experiments with lineup flexibility.