Bruce Thornton has officially signed his first NBA contract.
Drafted with the top selection of the 2026 second round, the Houston Rockets made the deal official Tuesday, and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports that the contract runs for up to four seasons and $9.3 million.
Only the first season (2026-27) is fully guaranteed.
That first season is for the NBA’s minimum rookie salary of $1.4 million, while subsequent years are non-guaranteed team options, per David Weiner of ClutchFans.
“It’s just a blessing, all of this,” Thornton told Rockets Wire at Tuesday’s summer-league practice in Houston. “My job is to play basketball now. I’ve got the best job in the world. There’s no complaining.”
Thornton was a four-year captain at Ohio State, where he became the all-time leading scorer in program history. In Houston, the 6-foot-0, 223-pound guard is already making an impression with physicality and toughness on both ends of the court.
“He’s a tank,” said Rockets assistant Will Dunn, who will serve as head coach of the summer-league squad. “You can see it right away. He’s like a little bowling ball out there.”
“He’s physical, he’s strong, he’s got a really tight handle. So when you guard him, you’ll feel it, for sure. And that’ll also allow him defensively to do some switching and stuff like that. A guy his size might not normally be able to, but he’s got that physicality.”
Thornton, 22, named veteran Rockets guard Fred VanVleet as a player he frequently watches highlights of in hopes of best optimizing those skills at the NBA level.
With Thornton in a featured role, the summer-league Rockets will open their five-game stint in Las Vegas with Friday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised and streamed to a national audience via ESPN2 and Watch ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets sign rookie guard Bruce Thornton for up to four years, $9.3 million
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire | USA TODAY Network
