Assuming health, Amen Thompson and the summer-league Houston Rockets will open play in July with a nationally televised matchup versus Scoot Henderson’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Each year, the NBA hosts its summer league in Las Vegas to effectively serve as an offseason showcase for young players. While highly touted rookies may not play in all five games, due to injury risk, they typically do (assuming health) for at least the initial portion.
That’s why Houston’s opening game versus Portland is so intriguing, since it features the No. 4 (Thompson) and No. 3 (Henderson) overall picks from the first round of the 2023 NBA draft. Going by historical trends, both top rookies should play, if healthy. And since both are point guards, it’s truly a head-to-head matchup.
The complete summer-league roster for the Rockets, which should also feature No. 20 pick Cam Whitmore, has yet to be released. For now, here’s a look at the schedule with television information.
- July 7: Rockets vs. Portland (6:00 p.m. Central, ESPN)
- July 9: Rockets vs. Detroit (6:00 p.m. Central, ESPN2)
- July 11: Rockets vs. Oklahoma City (5:30 p.m. Central, NBATV)
- July 13: Rockets vs. Golden State (6:00 p.m. Central, ESPN)
- Fifth game TBD
The second game of Houston’s summer schedule features a matchup with the Pistons, who should have No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson — yes, Amen’s twin brother — leading their squad.
Additional information on schedules and tickets is available now via the NBA’s 2023 summer league website. For Thompson and Whitmore, it will be their first game activity with the Rockets.
