The Houston Rockets officially waived three players on Saturday, cutting Bryce Harris, Cameron Matthews, and Caleb McConnell from their training camp roster. This finalizes their preseason roster moves just days before the 2026-27 NBA season begins. The team's focus now shifts to their opening night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on October 21, following a preseason that included a 116-89 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 15.
The Rockets parted ways with wing Bryce Harris, forward Cameron Matthews, and guard Caleb McConnell. All three were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, a specific type of non-guaranteed deal designed for training camp invites. These agreements often include a financial bonus if the player spends at least 60 days with the team's G League affiliate. None were realistically competing for a standard 15-man roster spot. Instead, the waivers clear a direct path for them to join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston's G League team, where they can develop and earn bonuses up to $91,000.
Following these cuts, the Rockets have 18 players under contract. However, only 12 of those have fully guaranteed deals for the season. Veteran forward Jae'Sean Tate is on a partially guaranteed contract, while Isaiah Crawford's deal remains non-guaranteed. The roster also includes two players on Exhibit 10 agreements: forward Oscar Tshiebwe and wing Julian Phillips. Crucially, the team only has two players on two-way contracts. Houston must complete at least one more transaction to be compliant.
General manager Rafael Stone faces a tight financial decision. The Rockets are operating just $14,000 below the NBA's luxury tax threshold. Signing a 15th player to a standard contract would push them into tax territory, triggering financial penalties. The most likely basketball move is converting either Tshiebwe or Phillips to the final two-way contract slot. This would satisfy the roster requirement without crossing the tax line.
There's also a more complex option available. The front office could convert one Exhibit 10 player to a two-way deal, then waive him and immediately convert the other to a two-way contract. This sequence would fulfill the two-way requirement while avoiding any cap hit from waiving a non-guaranteed player later. It's a maneuver that preserves maximum financial flexibility. The decision must be finalized by Monday's league-wide deadline for setting opening-night rosters.
The roster crunch comes as the Rockets finalize their rotation after a mixed preseason slate. They split two games with the Dallas Mavericks, losing 115-132 on October 11 before winning 117-135 on October 9. Their most recent outing was a dominant 116-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. These games provided evaluation time for players on the fringe. Now, the business side takes over. Stone's choice will signal how aggressively the franchise intends to manage its finances while keeping developmental pipelines open in the G League. Fans can track the final roster and the team's progress on our roster and schedule pages as the season gets underway.
