Former Rockets’ First-Round Pick Signs Two-Way Deal With Miami Heat

After a successful Summer League outing, former Houston Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher signs with the Miami Heat.

The NBA 2K Summer League Tournament ended Monday night, with the Miami Heat defeating the Memphis Grizzlies for the championship in Las Vegas. Josh Christopher, who scored a team-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting and 6-of-10 from behind the arc, took home Finals MVP honors.

In addition to his scoring performance, Christopher also added four rebounds, three steals and two blocks to lead the Heat to a 120-118 overtime win.

After his performance, the Heat announced that they had signed Josh Christopher to a two-way contract. The deal would give Christopher his first opportunity in the league since his two-year stint with the Houston Rockets.

Christopher began his career as a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) of the Rockets in 2021. He wasn’t in coach Stephen Silas’ rotation and spent most of his time developing with the Rockets’ G League affiliated team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was drafted alongside Jalen Green, Alepren Sengun and Usman Garuba.

The Rockets traded Christopher to the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2023. Following his release in September, Christopher spent the 2023-24 season playing for the Salt Lake City Stars and Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Christopher averaged 6.9 points in 15.4 minutes in 138 games in Houston. With the Vipers, he averaged 23.6 points on an average of 33.6 minutes played.