On Wednesday, August 2, Villanova alumni Jermaine Samuels signed a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets. 

After five seasons at Villanova, Samuels went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He played in the G League last season, featuring for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. During his time in the G League, Samuels averaged 18.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He shot 66.8 percent from the field and 45 percent from outside the arc.  

While his strong performance in the G league didn’t earn him an NBA call-up as a rookie, he was invited to play for the Rockets’ Summer League team, where he played alongside fellow Wildcat Cam Whitmore. Whitmore was selected by the Rockets at the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The two did not play together at Villanova.

During the 2023 Summer League, Samuels averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in six appearances. He averaged 27.3 minutes per game and helped the Rockets go 5-1 in Las Vegas. As a rookie, Samuels played in the Summer League with the Indiana Pacers. 

With his strong performance in this offseason’s summer league, Samuels earned himself the final two-way slot for the Rockets. Trevor Hudgins and Darius Days are also currently on two-way contracts for Houston.

Samuels is not the only Wildcat to have signed a two-way contract in the NBA. Former teammate Collin Gillespie, who also went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets in June of 2022. 

A two-way contract allows NBA teams to carry three extra players on their regular season roster, in addition to the 15 roster spots. Players who are on two-way contracts are allowed a maximum of 50 games with their NBA team. However, when not playing, players on two-way contracts can still practice and travel with the team, as well as sit on the bench during games as an inactive player. They also spend time on the team’s G League affiliate for additional playing time. 

Signing a two-way contract with Houston is a key step in Samuels’ young NBA career. It is a big opportunity for him to earn a full roster spot, especially on a young team like the Rockets. When Gillespie, Samuels and Whitmore play in the NBA, they will become the eighth, ninth and tenth active Villanova players in the league, joining Saddiq Bey, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte Divincenzo, Josh Hart, Kyle Lowry and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.