Rockets' Bruce Thornton: Positive contributor in SL loss
Rotowire
Thornton tallied 17 points (6-17 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, six assists and five steals over 32 minutes in Saturday's 102-89 Summer League loss to the Raptors.
Thornton wasn't remarkably efficient from the field, but he buried a trio of triples and finished as the Rockets' second-leading scorer. The 22-year-old also contributed in other facets, leading his team in rebounds and assists while tallying a game-high five steals. After a memorable college career at Ohio State, the 2026 second-round pick will look to carve out a reserve role in Houston's backcourt.
... See More... See Less
Rockets' Bruce Thornton: Strikes for 27 points in SL win
Rotowire
Thornton tallied 27 points (7-18 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 7-7 FT), three rebounds, three assists and three steals across 35 minutes in Friday's 97-86 Summer League win over the Nuggets.
Thornton was aggressive hunting his shot and got to the charity stripe often in the Rockets' Summer League debut, finishing with a game-high 27 points. The Ohio State product also matched the game-high mark in steals. The 31st overall pick in this year's draft has a chance to carve out a role off the bench, but he isn't guaranteed consistent minutes following the signing of Marcus Smart.
... See More... See Less
Rockets' Bruce Thornton: Selected by Houston after trade-up
Rotowire
The Knicks selected Thornton with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Rockets, Jeff Goodman of Fieldof68.com reports.
After a four-year stint at Ohio State, the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer will join the Rockets, who acquired the Nos. 31 and 55 picks in this year's draft in exchange for the Nos. 39 and 53 picks and a 2029 second-rounder. Thornton impressed in his final college season, averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals while recording 55.4/40.0/82.9 shooting splits in 36.5 minutes per contest. He's a strong lead guard who will likely compete for backup minutes, especially if Aaron Holiday leaves in free agency.
1:13
1:14
1:41
1:57
1:18
1:33
9:45
1:14
1:45
1:42
1:43
1:56
11:15
1:17
1:00
0:49
1:54
1:14
