Houston sign undrafted point guard to the roster
The Houston Rockets recently signed Quadir Copeland to a 2-way contract. Copeland was not drafted in the NBA draft, although he was in many 2nd round mock-drafts.
It was even more surprising that he was not drafted if you look at how good of a season he had at NC State. Copeland averaged 13.9 points per game, 6.5 assists per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and 1.8 steals per game. This earned him a spot in the Third Team All-ACC 2025-2026 season.
I am quite excited about Copeland's signing for many reasons: his size and playmaking skills are two of the main reasons. He is 22 years old, is six feet and six inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is a great passer, and seems to have great vision of the court, allowing him to make creative offensive plays, which the Rockets lacked last season. Copeland finished his last season with NC State with an astonishing 205 assists, which lead the entire ACC.
Copeland also recorded 435 points. Copeland is just one of three players to record over 400 points and 200 assists in a season in the ACC over the last 30 years. Houston three point shooting was quite abysmal, and Copeland can also help the team in that category. Although he had low volume, he shot at 40% from deep, and has showed signs of improvement.
Houston is a defensive-oriented team, and Copeland has proven that he is a 2 way player. His 1.8 steals per game was a good representation of his strong physicality, along with his fast hands and overall basketball IQ.
The only worry I have about him is his turnovers. He averaged 2.8 turnovers per game over the last two seasons; however, he is still young and has time to improve. Houston is a great landing spot for him, as the team is full of young prospects, which the management is focused on and invested in.
The Rockets lack squad depth, especially at point guard. When the starting point guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL last year, the team was left to give his ball-handling duties to Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson. Although both players stepped up to the plate in VanVleet's absence, it was very risky and posed fear about the team's depth at point guard. The coaching staff obviously acknowledged this, and made moves to sign undrafted Copeland along with drafting Bruce Thornton in the second round.
Although Copeland will likely get most of his opportunities and playing time in the G-league, I think he is a promising player and have hope for him to make a strong career in the NBA. How much of an impact will he have in Houston?
