Josh

Christopher

Christopher took a significant step forward in his quest to return to the NBA last week, as he performed very well on a Heat team that won the NBA 2K25 Summer League. As a result, he’s been rewarded with a two-way contract. Since the Heat had allocated all three of their available two-way slots before summer league, the team had to waive undrafted rookie Zyon Pullin to make room for Christopher. The 2021 first-round pick is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball next season.

Christopher’s experience in Las Vegas was what unrestricted free agents hope for every summer. The 2021 first-round pick made big plays throughout Miami’s run to the championship, and he was impactful on both ends of the floor on Monday. In addition to shooting 6-of-10 from three, Christopher racked up five “stocks,” earning championship game MVP honors. The last two weeks could go a long way toward ensuring he gets a shot in training camp, whether with the Heat or another organization.

After scoring 20 points in his Heat summer debut on Saturday, Christopher was even better on Monday. The 2021 first-round pick caught fire in the fourth quarter, going 5-of-7 from three and scoring 20 of his 23 points. Christopher is in Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent, and his play should get his name into conversations among league decision-makers. Whether the contract is of the standard variety or a two-way, a player like Christopher is simply looking for a chance to prove themselves.

Summer League is just as much about players looking to rejuvenate their careers as the lottery picks. Christopher falls into the former category, as he’s looking to stick somewhere after an unfortunate run with the Rockets. Saturday’s performance was a step in the right direction, as he was efficient offensively while also having an impact defensively. Christopher is a free agent, and Miami’s cap situation could lead to them keeping that 15th standard contract slot open. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t auditioning for all 30 teams while in Vegas.

Christopher was with Houston last year, but he was traded to the Grizzlies this summer as part of the Dillon Brooks deal. They waived him, which allowed him to sign with the Jazz. He’ll likely spend most of this season in the G-League.

Christopher and Todd were sent to Memphis in the deals that sent out Dillon Brooks and Tyus Jones. They were longshots to be part of the Grizzlies’ rotation, and they’ll now have the chance to sign two-ways for different teams. Mulder and Hurt’s deals weren’t disclosed by the team, but they are likely just training camp invites on Exhibit 10 deals. Both will likely end up with the Memphis Hustle.

Houston just signed Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $80 million deal, and now they’re sending Christopher where Brooks came from. It hasn’t been confirmed, but it could be part of a sign-and-trade. Christopher is a talented scorer, but he wasn’t able to get a major role over his first two seasons. Unfortunately, Memphis is likely a worse situation for him than the young Rockets.

Christopher will get the starting nod in place of Kevin Porter Jr., who is out due to right knee soreness. He should play a larger role in this game, though Daishen Nix will likely also help fill the void.

Green hasn’t missed a game in almost a month and he’s fresh off a 40-point explosion in the team’s loss to the Pelicans on Sunday. With a Warriors team that has been dreadfully bad on the road this season coming to town, it’s a more than likely chance Green suits up. If he doesn’t though, Josh Christopher or TyTy Washington could see some extra run.

After an extended absence, KPJ played the Rockets’ last four games, but he’ll be unavailable against the Pacers, which should open up some additional minutes for Josh Christopher, Daishen Nix and TyTy Washington.