Houston Rockets sign forward Jack McVeigh to two-way contract

Earlier this week, the Rockets announced the signing of forward Jack McVeigh to a two-way contract. McVeigh is currently preparing to compete for Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Rockets center Jock Landale.

McVeigh, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger, was eligible for the 2019 NBA draft. However, after his junior season at Nebraska in 2017–18, he joined the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League. Last season, in 37 combined playoff games, McVeigh averaged 17.3 points on 52.1 percent shooting, 39.8 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the free throw line. Tasmania won the NBL championship and McVeigh was named the Grand Final MVP.

Under Article VII, Section 4(j) of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, two-way player salaries are excluded from team salary. As such, a team is not required to have an option or exception to sign, acquire, or convert a player to a two-way contract. During the period from the first day of the regular season to the last day of the season, a two-way player is placed on the team’s active roster or inactive list while the two-way player is providing services to the NBA team. The player is placed on the team’s two-way roster at all other times. A two-way player is not eligible to be designated to an NBA team’s postseason roster or to participate in NBA postseason games, but is permitted to travel and practice with the team and remain on the team’s inactive list during the NBA postseason.

The two-way contract is a collective bargaining agreement tool designed to incentivize teams to invest in developing young prospects who might not otherwise have a spot on an NBA roster.

Right now, it seems unlikely that McVeigh will make it into the Rockets’ rotation. The Rockets have one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in the Western Conference and are hoping to use that strength to make the play-in tournament. All of the key pieces of the team’s rotation from last season, when the franchise won 41 games, are back; and the Rockets added Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard in the draft, selected third overall. Veteran Steven Adams will also see significant minutes after recovering from an injury that caused him to miss the entire 2023-24 season. Houston acquired Adams at the deadline from Memphis for multiple second-round picks.

The Rockets will return Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks to start in their crowded frontcourt. Tari Eason hopes to return from a leg injury that hampered his sophomore season. Sophomores Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, coming off impressive rookie campaigns, will also look to get minutes on the wing. And veterans Jae’Sean Tate, Landale and Jeff Green are also back, though each of those three players has roster spots largely due to the expiring nature of their contracts.