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Earlier this month, the Rockets announced the signing of 24-year-old guard Tristen Newton to a two-way contract. The two-way deal allows Newton to shuttle back and forth between Houston and its NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.
A 6-foot-5, 202-pound wing player, Newton was drafted by Indiana at No. 49 overall in the 2024 second round before spending last season with the Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Newton began this season with the Iowa Wolves of the G League, during which he led all players in scoring (26.2 points per game) in the G League Tip-Off Tournament. He ranked seventh in assists at 8.0 per game.
Newton was a casualty of Minnesota’s roster cuts at the end of the 2025-26 preseason, but he did make an impression on head coach Chris Finch.
Prior to Friday’s game between the Rockets (23-15) and Timberwolves (27-14) at Houston’s Toyota Center, Finch said he was happy for Newton’s opportunity.
“First of all, he’s a great kid who was outstanding for us,” Finch told Rockets Wire. “It was fun to watch him get exponentially better. When he first came in, the shooting was inconsistent. Now, it’s pretty high level.”
“We watched him get comfortable with the style of play, and finding his own confidence. We’re really happy for him, when he got the opportunity.”
In 12 G League games this season, Newton is averaging 25.3 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 51.2% overall and 40.9% from 3-point range.
As a senior at Burges High School in El Paso in 2018-19, Newton led the state of Texas in scoring with 37.2 points per game. He began his collegiate career at East Carolina before transferring to the University of Connecticut, where he helped the Huskies win back-to-back national championships.
In 2024, Newton was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after elite play on both offense and defense.
With his recent signing, Newton joins JD Davison and Isaiah Crawford as the current recipients of Houston’s three two-way contracts. Davison has played rotation minutes for the Rockets in recent games, so head coach Ime Udoka is making it clear that there is a path to NBA minutes for two-way players, should their play warrant that.
For now, Newton and Crawford are playing with the Vipers.
More: Two-way roster moves: Rockets sign Tristen Newton, waive Tyler Smith
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Exponentially better’: Wolves impressed by Houston’s Tristen Newton
Continue reading...
A 6-foot-5, 202-pound wing player, Newton was drafted by Indiana at No. 49 overall in the 2024 second round before spending last season with the Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Newton began this season with the Iowa Wolves of the G League, during which he led all players in scoring (26.2 points per game) in the G League Tip-Off Tournament. He ranked seventh in assists at 8.0 per game.
Newton was a casualty of Minnesota’s roster cuts at the end of the 2025-26 preseason, but he did make an impression on head coach Chris Finch.
Prior to Friday’s game between the Rockets (23-15) and Timberwolves (27-14) at Houston’s Toyota Center, Finch said he was happy for Newton’s opportunity.
“First of all, he’s a great kid who was outstanding for us,” Finch told Rockets Wire. “It was fun to watch him get exponentially better. When he first came in, the shooting was inconsistent. Now, it’s pretty high level.”
“We watched him get comfortable with the style of play, and finding his own confidence. We’re really happy for him, when he got the opportunity.”
In 12 G League games this season, Newton is averaging 25.3 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 51.2% overall and 40.9% from 3-point range.
As a senior at Burges High School in El Paso in 2018-19, Newton led the state of Texas in scoring with 37.2 points per game. He began his collegiate career at East Carolina before transferring to the University of Connecticut, where he helped the Huskies win back-to-back national championships.
In 2024, Newton was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after elite play on both offense and defense.
With his recent signing, Newton joins JD Davison and Isaiah Crawford as the current recipients of Houston’s three two-way contracts. Davison has played rotation minutes for the Rockets in recent games, so head coach Ime Udoka is making it clear that there is a path to NBA minutes for two-way players, should their play warrant that.
For now, Newton and Crawford are playing with the Vipers.
More: Two-way roster moves: Rockets sign Tristen Newton, waive Tyler Smith
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Exponentially better’: Wolves impressed by Houston’s Tristen Newton
Continue reading...
