Rockets extend two-way qualifying offer to prospects

With free agency set to officially kick off, the Houston Rockets were faced with key decisions on the contract front. Jock Landale, Jae’Sean Tate and Jeff Green all had team options for the 2024-25 season.

Tate and Landale’s options have already been picked up, and Green’s option is also expected to be picked up, unsurprisingly.

Granted, none of the three players made the difference for the franchise last season, and they won’t next season either, but they represent $23 million in salary ballast, which is extremely valuable.

Especially for a young Rockets team littered with players on entry-level contracts and with little outgoing salary to distribute via trade.

The Rockets also decided to extend a two-way qualifying offer to Jeenathan “Nate” Williams, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, while deciding not to extend offers to Nate Hinton and Jermaine Samuels Jr.

Williams shined collegiately at Buffalo, averaging 19.1 points and 45.1 percent from three-point range as a senior, and finished his four-year college career with averages of 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 46.7 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range.

Williams was originally signed by the Utah Jazz as a rookie and was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the franchise’s G-League affiliate. In 21 minutes of play, Williams averaged 8.7 points on 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 46.9 percent from deep.

The Portland Trail Blazers finally called Williams up to the big team late in the 2022-23 season, and he averaged 10.6 points, three rebounds, two assists, 61.5 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and an astronomical 65.7 percent true shooting in five games of play.

Williams was part of the Rockets’ Summer League roster last summer but played sparingly, averaging three points, 2.8 rebounds and shooting 62.5 percent from the field in just 9.2 minutes of play. Last season, Williams was stuck on the end of the Rockets’ bench in 2023-24, though he played 22 games for the franchise.

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