Overview
- The Rockets announced Friday that they picked up Sheppard’s fourth-year team option, guaranteeing his contract through the 2027/28 season.
- The decision secures reported pay of $11.11 million this season and about $14.04 million for 2027/28 while keeping Sheppard on the rookie scale ahead of restricted free agency in 2028.
- Sheppard was the No. 3 overall pick in 2024 and moved from a limited rookie role to a breakout 2025/26 season in which he played all 82 games and averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and a .394 three-point percentage.
- Early in 2026/27 he has shown improved playmaking, logging at least four assists in each of his first four games for a 5-0 Rockets start, but his scoring and shooting percentages have dipped in that small sample.
- The pick-up reflects Houston’s pattern of locking up young talent and makes Sheppard a leading candidate for a rookie-scale extension next offseason while he competes for minutes behind veterans Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart and alongside Amen Thompson.