With a roster spot open after the NBA's in-season trade deadline in February, it became increasingly obvious that the Houston Rockets would use it for either a buyout market signing or to convert JD Davison from his two-way contract to a standard deal.
Now, with the 2026 Western Conference playoffs less than two weeks away, the Rockets (49-29) have made their final choice.
As first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN , Houston converted Davison to a two-year contract on Tuesday afternoon. Players on two-way contracts are not playoff eligible, so the Rockets needed to convert Davison before the end of the regular season if they wanted him on their playoff roster.
The deal is for the league's minimum salary and includes a team option for 2026-27, a team source told Rockets Wire.
A physical, 6-foot-3 guard with defensive versatility, Davison has provided useful depth this season for a Rockets team that has been short on ball-handlers in the aftermath of Fred VanVleet 's knee injury.
Perhaps his best game came on Feb. 7 in Oklahoma City , where Davison had 8 points (60.0% FG) and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes during an impressive win over the defending NBA champions. The Thunder are known for their relentless ball pressure, which could make Davison of value in any potential Rockets-Thunder playoff series.
Davison won NBA G League Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors last season with the Maine Celtics , and he had familiarity with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka dating back to their shared Boston days.
With that in mind, Davison quickly became a fixture near the end of Houston's bench, and it's a role the 23-year-old could potentially hold going into next season, as well.
More: JD Davison or a buyout signing? Rockets have a decision to make soon
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets convert JD Davison from two-way deal to standard NBA contract
