# Troy Daniels
**Troy Daniels** (born 1991) is an American professional basketball player, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from [Roanoke, Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/roanoke-virginia), who played eight years in the NBA as a specialist three-point shooter after going undrafted out of [Virginia Commonwealth University](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-commonwealth-university) (VCU).[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203584/traditional) He is best known for the overtime game-winning three-pointer he made for the [Houston Rockets](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-rockets) in Game 3 of a 2014 playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, in only his sixth NBA game.[2](https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/unlikely-hero-fuels-rockets-overtime)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, USA; guard, 6'4" (1.93 m), 200 lb (91 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203584/traditional) |
| College / draft | Virginia Commonwealth University; undrafted[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203584/traditional) |
| NBA debut | March 5, 2014[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/danietr01.html) |
| Career averages | 6.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists per game over 8 years[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203584/traditional) |
| Signature moment | Go-ahead three with 11.9 seconds left in overtime, Game 3 at Portland, April 25, 2014, his sixth NBA game[2](https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/unlikely-hero-fuels-rockets-overtime) |
| College record | VCU single-season record of 124 three-pointers in his senior season[4](https://commonwealthtimes.org/2019/01/16/ram-in-the-pros-troy-daniels-2/) |
| Career earnings | At least $14,273,351 in professional basketball[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/danietr01.html) |
## Early life and college career
Daniels attended William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia, where he averaged 17 points and six rebounds as a senior and earned Virginia High School Coaches' Association AAA First-Team All-State honors.[5](https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/troy-daniels/744) He then played college basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University, arriving as a lightly used freshman who averaged 2.2 points in his first season.[5](https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/troy-daniels/744)
His junior season in 2011-12 established him as a shooter: he played in all 36 of the Rams' games, averaged 10.0 points, and set a VCU record with 94 three-pointers while shooting 38 percent (94-of-247) from behind the arc, the highest percentage on the team.[5](https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/troy-daniels/744) As a senior he pushed the mark further, hitting 124 three-pointers, a school record for a single season.[4](https://commonwealthtimes.org/2019/01/16/ram-in-the-pros-troy-daniels-2/) VCU coach [Shaka Smart](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaka-smart) called him the best shooter he had ever coached.[5](https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/troy-daniels/744)
## NBA career
Undrafted in 2013, Daniels reached the NBA through the Development League. With the [Rio Grande Valley Vipers](https://www.edgepedia.org/rio-grande-valley-vipers) he appeared in 48 games (37 starts) and averaged 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 35.4 minutes while shooting 40.1 percent from three-point range.[6](https://ak-static-int.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/2016-17-Media-Guide-Grizzlies.pdf) That shooting earned him NBA opportunities, and he made his league debut on March 5, 2014.[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/danietr01.html)
**The 2014 playoff shot.** In Game 3 of the Rockets' first-round series at Portland, Daniels capped a scramble for a loose ball with a three-pointer from the left wing that put Houston ahead 119-116 with 11.9 seconds left in overtime; Houston won the game.[2](https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/unlikely-hero-fuels-rockets-overtime) He scored nine points in that playoff debut, and the shot came in just his sixth NBA game.[6](https://ak-static-int.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/2016-17-Media-Guide-Grizzlies.pdf) • [7](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/what-daniels-brings-to-nuggets-030520) The Blazers' own account described him as an unlikely hero of a kind the playoffs rarely produce.[2](https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/unlikely-hero-fuels-rockets-overtime)
**A journeyman shooting specialist.** Across his first two NBA seasons Daniels appeared in 95 regular-season games with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and [Charlotte Hornets](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-hornets), averaging 4.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 10.0 minutes while shooting 43.0 percent from three-point range.[6](https://ak-static-int.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/2016-17-Media-Guide-Grizzlies.pdf) He later played for the [Memphis Grizzlies](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-grizzlies), Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and [Denver Nuggets](https://www.edgepedia.org/denver-nuggets).[6](https://ak-static-int.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/2016-17-Media-Guide-Grizzlies.pdf) • [7](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/what-daniels-brings-to-nuggets-030520) • [8](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2019/8/19/20757324/most-interesting-lakers-no-15-troy-daniels-season-preview) His most extensive role came with Phoenix, where he played a career-high 79 games and averaged 8.9 points per game.[4](https://commonwealthtimes.org/2019/01/16/ram-in-the-pros-troy-daniels-2/) In the postseason he shot 40.7 percent across his career, and Denver signed him in 2019 specifically for shooting and floor spacing after trading Malik Beasley.[7](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/what-daniels-brings-to-nuggets-030520)
## Playing style
Daniels' NBA value rested almost entirely on his outside shot. His game was built on release speed, shooting confidence, and off-ball movement rather than power or burst, and teams used him as a reliable perimeter scoring option off the bench.[9](https://heatingup.net/troy-daniels-attributes/) A film review of his 112 three-point attempts in his Denver season described deep, ready release as the core of his role, noting that his attempts came almost exclusively as catch-and-shoot looks from beyond the arc.[10](https://thednvr.com/nuggets/i-watched-all-112-of-troy-daniels-3-point-attempts-this-season-heres-what-i-learned/) Analysts consistently identified the same limitation: his ticket to an NBA paycheck was his shooting touch, and he needed to add an off-the-bounce game to punish defenses that closed out aggressively on him.[11](https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/year-review-troy-daniels)
## References
1. [Troy Daniels profile, NBA.com/stats](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203584/traditional)
2. [Unlikely Hero Fuels Rockets In Overtime, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/unlikely-hero-fuels-rockets-overtime)
3. [Troy Daniels Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/danietr01.html)
4. [Ram in the Pros: Troy Daniels, The Commonwealth Times](https://commonwealthtimes.org/2019/01/16/ram-in-the-pros-troy-daniels-2/)
5. [Troy Daniels, 2012-13 Men's Basketball roster, VCU Athletics](https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/troy-daniels/744)
6. [Troy Daniels, 2016-17 Memphis Grizzlies Media Guide, NBA.com](https://ak-static-int.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/2016-17-Media-Guide-Grizzlies.pdf)
7. [What Troy Daniels brings to the Denver Nuggets, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/what-daniels-brings-to-nuggets-030520)
8. [Most Interesting Lakers No. 15: Can Troy Daniels be the shooter the team needs?, Silver Screen and Roll](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2019/8/19/20757324/most-interesting-lakers-no-15-troy-daniels-season-preview)
9. [Troy Daniels Height, Weight, Wingspan, Position, Draft, DOB, Heating Up](https://heatingup.net/troy-daniels-attributes/)
10. [I watched all 112 of Troy Daniels' 3-point attempts this season, DNVR Sports](https://thednvr.com/nuggets/i-watched-all-112-of-troy-daniels-3-point-attempts-this-season-heres-what-i-learned/)
11. [Year In Review: Troy Daniels, Houston Rockets, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/year-review-troy-daniels)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 2011–2018 › NBA guards, 2011–2018*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license