Breaking NBA Free Agent Signing: Houston Rockets Sign Strong Wing Defender

Another nice addition for the Houston Rockets this summer, as they have tapped into the free agent market to help fill the void for having traded Dillon Brooks in the Kevin Durant deal. The Rockets have signed wing defender Josh Okogie to a one-year, $3.1M deal.

Free agent forward Josh Okogie has agreed to a one-year, $3.1 million deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Okogie enters his 8th NBA season and gives the Rockets another active wing defender who has averaged 6.3 points over 416 games. pic.twitter.com/RazV3afZq1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 22, 2025

Okogie averaged a career high 1.2 steals last season between the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets in just 15 minutes per game, and was fourth in steals per 36 minutes of all players with 40 games or more. The 6-foot-4 wing has a 7-foot wingspan, aiding him in pilfering the ball.

Overall, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 34.8% from three-point range.

The Rockets already ranked as a top five team in the NBA in defense, and Okogie, in addition to previously added Dorian Finney-Smith, should be more than enough to make up for the loss of Brooks. As Okogie himself notes, the Houston D will be a problem for opposing offenses this season.

The 26-year-old Okogie was a first-round selection of the Minnesota Timberwolves (20th overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft. He spent his first four seasons there before moving on to the Phoenix Suns, where he spent two and a half years.