After signing Sean Pedulla to a two-way contract last week, the Rockets have brought in another newcomer on a two-way deal, announcing today that they’ve finalized an agreement with undrafted George Washington big man Rafael Castro, per Ben DuBose of RocketsWire.
Castro, who struggled to gain playing time in two seasons at Providence from 2022-24, transferred to George Washington for his junior season and became the team’s full-time starting center. He was named to the All-Atlantic 10 second team and the conference’s All-Defensive team during each of his two years with the Revolutionaries.
As a senior in 2025/26, Castro averaged 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game across 27 appearances. The 23-year-old shot 62.7% from the field and 66.1% from the free throw line.
Shortly after Castro went undrafted in June, word broke that he had agreed to terms with the Bucks on a two-way deal. However, that contract was never signed, so either the agreement fell through or it was reported erroneously.
The 6’11” center did suit up for Milwaukee last month at the Las Vegas and California Classic Summer Leagues, averaging 2.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 13.3 MPG over the course of five outings. But since he won’t be joining the Bucks going forward, they’ll maintain an open two-way slot alongside Cormac Ryan and Kam Jones.
Entering the day, Houston had a full complement of two-way players, with Pedulla, Quadir Copeland, and Tristen Newton all under contract, so the team had to cut one of those three to make room for Castro. Newton was the odd man out and has been placed on waivers.
The 49th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of UConn, Newton signed a two-way contract with the Rockets in January following stints with Indiana and Minnesota. The 6’5″ guard made just one NBA appearance for Houston but had a monster year in the G League, where he put up 25.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest on .469/.360/.863 shooting in 30 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, earning a spot on the All-NBAGL first team and finishing second in MVP voting.
Newton will become a free agent on Friday if he isn’t claimed on waivers.
