Rockets Reload Two-Way Deals With Copeland, Pedulla and Castro
Houston overhauled its two-way roster with three undrafted prospects, including G League Rookie of the Year Sean Pedulla, who put up 23.6 points a night in the minors.
G League scoring is real, but a two-way deal under Udoka caps his floor.
- Pedulla: 23.6 pts, 6.7 ast in G League last season (2025-26)
- Pedulla shot 39.6% from deep in the G League (2025-26)
- Copeland: 13.9 pts, 6.5 ast, 39.7% 3P at NC State (2024-25)
- Castro: 15.3 pts, 9.1 reb, 1.7 blk at George Washington (2025-26)
- Pedulla logged just 3.3 fantasy pts/game in 7 NBA games (2025-26)
Houston just wiped and rebuilt its two-way slots in one move, signing three undrafted guards and bigs to round out the roster. The most decorated name is Sean Pedulla, the reigning G League Rookie of the Year, who averaged 23.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.6 steals with Minnesota's affiliate last season (2025-26). The 6'1" point guard now gets a two-way look with the Rockets after bouncing through Portland, the Clippers and the Wolves in his first pro year.
The other two are equally raw. Quadir Copeland, a 23-year-old 6'6" guard, arrives after going undrafted this summer following a senior year at NC State where he put up 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 49.4% from the floor and 39.7% from three. Rafael Castro, a 6'10" center out of George Washington, went undrafted in 2026 after posting 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks as a senior.
What Each Guy Actually Brings
Copeland is a classic Ime Udoka project — big, athletic, defense-first, and able to see over the top when he runs the point. The catch is he coughed the ball up 2.8 times per game last season and isn't a volume scorer, so his offensive ceiling is limited. Castro fits the modern rim-running big mold: fast, smart, willing in the pick-and-roll, but he has no shooting range and is listed at a slight 224 pounds that an NBA strength program will need to address.
Pedulla is the sharpest fit on paper. He shot 39.2% from deep as a senior and matched it at 39.6% in the G League, and the playmaking chops are real. The problem is defense — his size makes him a target, and getting torched on that end is the fastest way to lose Udoka's trust and, with it, floor time.
The Fantasy Fallout
None of these three moves the needle for fantasy right now. Pedulla is unranked in our model, and his lone NBA sample last season (2025-26) was seven games of 1.9 points and 3.3 fantasy points per game — nowhere near roster-relevant. Two-way contracts cap the ceiling here, and Houston's guard depth means minutes will be scarce.
The verdict: leave all three on the wire in standard leagues. Pedulla is the only one worth a bookmark if injuries hit Houston's backcourt, given his G League scoring pedigree. In dynasty formats, Castro's shot-blocking profile is the most intriguing long-term flier — but that's a two-year-out conversation, not a Week 1 add.
