{
  "id": 3818684,
  "title": "UConn's Tristen Newton waived by Houston Rockets despite G League success",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uconns-tristen-newton-waived-by-houston-rockets-despite-g-league",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T21:09:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/uconns-tristen-newton-waived-houston-210927982.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On April 12, the Houston Rockets waived former UConn basketball sensation Tristen Newton, despite his impressive 2025-26 season in the G League. Signed to a two-way contract with the Rockets in January 2026, Newton predominantly played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their G League affiliate, where he averaged 25.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, earning first-team All-G League honors. Newton contributed with 12 points and three rebounds in his final NBA appearance, earning $321,714 for the 2025-26 season, which amounted to roughly a quarter of the 2025-26 rookie minimum salary. The Rockets released Newton to accommodate rookie center Rafael Castro, a player from Providence and George Washington, who was signed to a two-way contract on April 12 after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. Standing at 6-foot-5, Newton was drafted 49th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA Draft but was waived by them in January 2025. The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed him a few days later, briefly reconnecting him with his cousin Aaron Jones, a Pro Bowl running back for the Vikings, before reassigning Newton to the G League. Newton initially gained attention for his high school performances, where he averaged over 37 points per game in Texas. He began his college career at East Carolina, where he earned second-team All-AAC honors as a junior. After receiving offers from over 30 schools, Newton transferred to UConn, where he became the starting point guard under coach Dan Hurley and led the Huskies to the 2023 national championship. In his final collegiate season, Newton's stats soared, averaging over 15 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, earning him consensus First-Team All-America honors. Newton also received the 2024 Final Four Most Outstanding Player award for his pivotal role in the Huskies' dominant March Madness run.",
  "summary": "Newton won consecutive national championships during his two seasons at UConn from 2022 to 2024.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "The Houston Rockets today announced they have signed …",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/the-houston-rockets-today-announced-they-have-signed",
        "published": "2026-08-27T08:37:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}