Troy Daniels inks two-year contract with Houston Rockets

He’s a legend in Richmond, VA. Now VCU’s Troy Daniels will have an opportunity to build a legacy in Houston, Texas as a part of the National Basketball Association.

February 21, 2014; 5:06 PM • by Aaron Williams

He’s one of the most prolific shooters in VCU history and he has widely been considered one of the best shooters outside of the NBA – until now. VCU alumnus Troy Daniels signed a full contract with the Houston Rockets on Friday morning. It’s a two-year deal but the second year is not guaranteed.

Daniels set the single-season 3-point record at VCU, he’s second all-time in 3-pointers at VCU, and it took him 32 games to set the NBA D-League record for 3-pointers at 173. The Roanoke native spent time with the Charlotte Bobcats during the summer league and preseason before joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League – an affiliate of the Houston Rockets.

He’s averaged 23.3 PPG which ranks 6th in the league all while expanding his skill set well beyond his deadly long range shot. Anyone who has watched him play has seen a much improved defender and ball-handler, and he even threw down a dunk. While Daniels is now on the Rockets’ roster, he will continue lighting up the D-league for the Vipers, but he could get called up at any moment.

Daniels’ story is a perfect example of what the rapidly evolving NBA D-League hopes to become. The developmental league is expanding and mobility is increasing. One night an NBA player is sitting on the bench in Indianapolis and the next night he’s playing 35 minutes of basketball for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

This change combined with the increasing talent on VCU’s roster means more players could pursue domestic professional basketball careers – and more fans will be able to follow their favorite players without navigating websites in French or watching web-streams on Israeli time.

“I’m humbled by this incredible opportunity. There are so many people that helped me get to this point and I can’t thank them enough. I’m going to be suiting up alongside the best players in the world, it’s a surreal moment for me,” Daniels said. “I’m going to work my hardest to do whatever I have to help the team win.”

For the first time ever, VCU will have three players in the NBA. Daniels joins Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Eric Maynor of the Philadelphia 76ers.