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Alperen Sengun Off the Injury Report for Saturday
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun (back) is not listed on the injury report for Saturday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, putting him in line to return after a two-game absence. Sengun had been dealing with a mild lower back strain after opening the season with 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game through four appearances. Houston leaned on a deeper frontcourt while he was out, with Tari Eason grabbing 13 rebounds Friday against Dallas. Sengun's return should restore him to the middle of the offense and cut into the extra minutes that opened up for the reserve bigs.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Alperen Sengun Misses Second Straight Game
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun (back) will miss a second straight game Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, per Will Guillory. Sengun had opened the season averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 58.1 percent through four games. Houston got solid frontcourt production without him Wednesday, as Clint Capela finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 22 minutes. With Steven Adams (calf) also sidelined, Capela should remain busy. Sengun's next chance to return comes Saturday against Oklahoma City.
Source: Will Guillory
Source: Will Guillory
Alperen Sengun Questionable Friday
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun (back) is questionable for Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, according to Lachard Binkley. Sengun missed Wednesday's 132-100 win over Milwaukee after imaging revealed a mild lower back strain. Head coach Ime Udoka said he hopes the issue will only cost Sengun a few games at most. The 24-year-old has averaged 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.8 steals through four appearances. Clint Capela delivered 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in 22 minutes Wednesday and would remain a strong short-term option if Sengun sits again with Steven Adams (calf) also out.
Source: Lachard Binkley
Source: Lachard Binkley
Alperen Sengun Sidelined with Back Soreness Wednesday
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks with low back soreness. It will be his first absence of the season after averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 58.1% shooting during Houston's 4-0 start. With Steven Adams (soleus) also sidelined, Clint Capela is in line for a much larger role at center, while Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. could pick up additional frontcourt work. Sengun's next chance to return comes Friday in Dallas.
Source: Will Guillory
Source: Will Guillory
Alperen Sengun Wraps Up Preseason with All-Around Line
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal in 24 minutes during Thursday's 116-89 preseason win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two-time All-Star shot 7-for-11 from the field and missed both of his three-point attempts. Fred VanVleet finished with eight assists and no turnovers after missing all of last season, when Sengun averaged 6.2 assists. VanVleet's return could take some playmaking off Sengun's plate, but his 16-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the Macao opener showed Houston will still run plenty of offense through its big man.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Cameron Matthews Signs Training Camp Deal With Houston
Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot reports that free-agent forward Cameron Matthews signed a training camp contract with the Houston Rockets on Thursday. The undrafted Mississippi State standout averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 steals in 29.4 minutes per game over 34 contests in his final campaign as a Bulldog last season. He will likely start this season with Houston's G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Source: Paul Garcia
Source: Paul Garcia
Alperen Sengun Works on Three-Point Shot
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun said corner threes are the shot he most wants to add this season. The 24-year-old is working with shooting coach Chip Engelland and believes confidence is a major part of improving from deep. Sengun attempted only seven corner threes last season while shooting 30.5 percent from beyond the arc overall. He still averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, so three-point shooting remains one of the few holes in his fantasy game. If Sengun can knock down a few more corner threes, it would give defenses one more thing to worry about. His fantasy value, though, will still be driven by the scoring, rebounding, and playmaking he already provides.
Source: Johnny Askounis
Source: Johnny Askounis
Kevin Durant Pushes Back on Rockets' Plan to Trim His Minutes
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant isn't eager to see his workload reduced this season after the team discussed cutting back his minutes. "The team is better when I'm on the court," Durant said at Tuesday's media day, adding that he wants to remain available when games require it. The 37-year-old logged 2,840 minutes last season, second most in the NBA, while averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across 78 games. Durant did acknowledge that Houston taking care of games early could lead to more rest. A modest reduction shouldn't significantly hurt his fantasy appeal, while Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. could pick up some additional frontcourt minutes.
Source: Ben DuBose
Source: Ben DuBose
Montrezl Harrell Works Out for Rockets' G-League Affiliate
Free-agent forward/center Montrezl Harrell completed a post-practice workout with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets' G-League affiliate, on Sept. 12 as he continues his NBA comeback attempt. Harrell told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson that the session with the coaching staff "went really well." The 32-year-old hasn't played in the NBA since 2022-23 but stayed active this year, averaging 17.3 points for Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico and setting a BIG3 single-game record with 42 points. Harrell still believes his rim-running and screen-setting can translate, but there is no contract on the table yet. For now, the workout is simply another step toward getting back into the league.
Source: Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson
Source: Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson
Amen Thompson Agrees to Five-Year Extension with Houston
Houston Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson agreed to a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale extension with the franchise, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal includes a 10 percent trade kicker and locks in one of Houston's core pieces after Thompson led the NBA in minutes last season. The 23-year-old logged 37.4 minutes per game across 79 starts while averaging career highs of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals. That workload remains the fantasy hook. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun will command touches, but Thompson's rebounding, defensive production, and ball-handling role keep him firmly valuable. The jumper is still the swing skill, so his ceiling rises only if the shooting catches up.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Alperen Sengun's Efficiency Could Climb
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun should benefit from Fred VanVleet's expected return, with The Dream Shake's Lachard Binkley writing that Sengun may gain the most from having Houston's floor general back. VanVleet missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his right ACL, leaving Sengun to carry more of the offense as a scorer, passer, rebounder, and late-clock option. The two-time All-Star still averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks across 72 games. VanVleet's return could trim Sengun's assists, but easier touches, cleaner entry passes, and less creation burden should help his efficiency. He remains one of the safer early-round fantasy centers.
Source: Lachard Binkley
Source: Lachard Binkley
Kevin Durant Targets Team USA Return
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant wants to play for Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, per Evan Sidery. Durant, 37, has already played in the last four Olympics and became the first American men's basketball player to win four gold medals, so a 2028 appearance would add another historic layer to his Team USA resume. He is not fading yet, either, earning All-NBA Second Team honors after averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and shooting 41.3 percent from three for Houston. The Olympic note is not actionable for fantasy, but it reinforces Durant's staying power. He remains an early-round fantasy forward for scoring, threes, and elite percentages, with age and durability as the main risks.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Oscar Tshiebwe Signs With Rockets
The Houston Rockets signed free-agent forward Oscar Tshiebwe on Friday. The details of the deal weren't announced, but it's assumed that it's a one-year deal worth the league minimum. Tshiebwe has spent each of the last two seasons as a member of the Utah Jazz. Last season, Tshiebwe averaged 7.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 16.6 minutes per game in 27 contests. He has been in the league for three years, but has yet to surpass 50 total games played in the league. This looks to be mainly a depth move by the Rockets. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Tshiebwe to make an impact unless there are a few injuries.
Source: Houston Rockets
Source: Houston Rockets
Jae'Sean Tate Lands Partially Guaranteed Deal With Rockets
The Houston Rockets and forward Jae'Sean Tate have agreed to a one-year, $3.07 million deal, partially guaranteed for $1.04 million, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, keeping the veteran with the only NBA franchise he has known. The partial guarantee tells the story: this is a fringe-roster, camp-battle deal, not a rotation promise. A versatile defender and respected locker-room presence, Tate has watched his role vanish on a loaded Rockets contender, averaging a career-low 8.8 minutes last season while spending time in the G League. With Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. among the forwards ahead of him, there is no runway here. Tate carries no fantasy value and would need a rash of injuries to surface even in the deepest leagues.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Dorian Finney-Smith Moved to Charlotte
Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith was traded to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. According to Shams Charania, Finney-Smith will go to Charlotte in exchange for three second-round picks. The veteran forward still has three years left on his deal, with the final year being a $13.3 million player option. The Rockets wanted to create cap space, which moving off Finney-Smith's contract certainly does for Houston. The veteran forward had a down year last season, but is normally a viable two-way player. His fantasy value will be dependent on where he shakes out in the rotation.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
