Rockets use hardship exception to sign DeJon Jarreau

On Tuesday, the Houston Rockets announced that they signed DeJon Jarreau of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants to a 10-day contract using the hardship exception.

Jarreau’s name will come with familiarity to those who follow the local hoops scene closely, the 6-5 guard finished his college career by helping birth the Houston Cougars with a trip to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. That season, he was named as the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year before eventually submitting his name to the 2021 NBA Draft.

Despite going undrafted, Jarreau averaged 11.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists for the Miami Heat during the summer league which helped him land a deal as a two-way player with the Indiana Pacers in August.

With Indiana’s g-league affiliate the Mad Ants, he’s averaged 9.7 points per outing along with 4.5 assists and 3.9 boards per game. He’s played in 10 games where he’s averaged 20.9 minutes.

While it’s tough to determine whether he’ll get much of an opportunity, his three-point shooting and defensive abilities can quickly translate to minute as Houston has shown a desire as of late to keep the floor spaced out at all times. In their 132-123 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Jerreau was active but didn’t see any action.

In the span of which his contract will run, the Rockets will tangle with the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, and Dallas Mavericks which is more than enough time for a young, determined player to make an impact.