Rockets shutting down Reed Sheppard for remainder of Summer League

reed-sheppard-fractures-thumb-out-at-least-four-weeks — Photo by Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are shutting down Reed Sheppard (for the rest of the summer).

According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Houston has elected to keep Sheppard off the court for the Rockets’ remaining Summer League games in Las Vegas. The former Kentucky guard appeared in two contests against the Pistons and Clippers, averaging 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, four steals, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per contest. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (36.4 FG%, 31.8 3PT%), but led Houston in scoring both times and generally looked like one of the best players on the floor.

Sheppard’s play must have been good enough in the eyes of the Rockets front office to shut him down and keep him healthy going into training camp.

The Houston Rockets are shutting second-year guard Reed Sheppard down for the remainder of Summer League, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) July 14, 2025

After being taken third overall by Houston in last year’s NBA Draft, expectations have been high for the Bluegrass native, but his rookie season was not what many hoped for. Playing on a team that won over 50 games and had goals of making a deep playoff run, Sheppard struggled to fight his way into the rotation. He appeared in 52 games (three as a starter) in 2024-25 with per-game averages of 4.4 points in 12.6 minutes while shooting 35.1 percent from the field.

Which is why the Rockets wanted to see him come out and be aggressive in Summer League — to look like he’s too good to play at this level. When Houston shipped Sheppard down to the G League for a brief stint last season, he won Player of the Week, quickly proving to be above that kind of competition. Going into his second season, now with Kevin Durant as his teammate, he’s expected to play a significant role in the 2025-26 campaign.

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“I mean Reed is just going to have to be really good for us,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone told reporters earlier this month. “Period.”

Houston wants to battle the defending champion OKC Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference next season. How much Sheppard can contribute from the backcourt could be a crucial factor in whether or not it happens.