4:25pm: The Rockets have officially signed Sampson, the team confirmed in a press release.
4:05pm: The Rockets have agreed to terms with former LSU guard Brandon Sampson on an Exhibit 10 deal, league sources tell Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic (Twitter link). Houston has multiple openings on its 20-man preseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to complete the signing.
Sampson, who declared for the 2018 NBA draft following his junior year at LSU, was not selected in June. During his final college season, he battled an ankle injury and averaged just 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 27 games (18.9 MPG). Sampson joined the Hawks for Las Vegas Summer League play in July, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in three games (16.0 MPG).
The Rockets almost certainly don’t envision Sampson as part of their regular season roster, but his Exhibit 10 contract creates a couple other potential paths — he could have that deal converted into a two-way contract, or he could be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then spends two months with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate.