Rockets Lock In Sheppard With $14M Option for 2027-28

The Houston Rockets have secured another season of Reed Sheppard, exercising the guard's contract option for 2027-28 worth approximately $14 million, according to RealGM. The move keeps the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft under contract for a further year as Houston's unbeaten start to the season continues. Sheppard became a dependable contributor last season, averaging 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists while appearing in all 82 games. His role has shifted this campaign with Fred VanVleet returning from injury and Marcus Smart joining the backcourt, and through his first four appearances he is averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 assists in 23.3 minutes per game. The one concern is his shooting: Sheppard is hitting just 28.1 percent from three-point range so far this season, well below his career mark of 37.9 percent. Houston will hope that number climbs back toward its usual level as the season wears on. The decision comes with the Rockets sitting at 5-0, one of the last two unbeaten teams in the league, and heading into a Friday night trip to Dallas to face the Mavericks. Locking in Sheppard's option now removes any doubt about his future and underlines how highly the franchise rates a player it drafted to be a long-term piece of its backcourt.