Amen Thompson’s new deal says plenty about how the Houston Rockets see him. The franchise locked him in earlier this month on a five-year, $208 million rookie contract extension, a price tag that reflects how high the team is on his future even though he’s still chasing his first All-Star nod.
That’s where the debate starts. Thompson is just 23, and his 21.6% career three-point shooting is the obvious blemish on the profile. The money is being paid for what he can become, not just what he has already done.
Draymond Green pushed back on the idea that Thompson simply needs to “fix” everything in his game, especially when it comes to shooting. On a recent episode of his podcast, the four-time All-Star made the case that Thompson has the kind of presence and style that can carry a franchise.
“This is Amen Thompson’s team. Amen Thompson has the demeanor to be that guy… Yes, he needs to improve.
But on the flip side, I do get a little frustrated sometimes when people come out like, ‘Yo, this guy can just gain a jump shot.’ Like yo, jump shooting is a skill.
Yes, you can work to better that skill, but we’re not going to ask Steph Curry to go be Amen Thompson athletically.”
Thompson backed up the hype last season. He put up 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals across 79 games, and he logged a league-high 2,953 total minutes. That workload, along with his impact on the defensive end, helped him finish top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The next jump is pretty clear: an All-Star selection. If Thompson can keep building and find better efficiency from midrange and beyond the arc, his ceiling rises with it.
Houston has another cornerstone in Alperen Sengun, who already has the stronger résumé. Sengun signed a five-year, $185 million rookie contract extension that runs through 2030, and he’s coming off a second straight All-Star season after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 72 games last year.
Even with Sengun’s track record, Thompson’s extension fits the same larger picture. Houston’s front office has made it clear it wants both players to be central to the next era of Rockets basketball. With Kevin Durant still playing at a top-tier level alongside them, the Rockets have reason to believe they can be in the title mix next year.
In Other News...
Rockets Camp Sets Up A Real Minutes Battle For Ime Udoka
The Rockets camp picture is already crowded before the first real minute of the season is even mapped out. Kevin Durant, Alperen engn and Amen Thompson give Ime Udoka a strong top end, while the roster also carries the kind of versatility and veteran presence that can make a depth chart look deeper than usual. With starters, rotation pieces and bench or G League hopefuls all in the mix, Houston has the ingredients for a team that can be shaped in a few different directions.
The harder part is sorting out who actually fits where once the games start for real. Udoka has a lot of usable talent to organize, and the Rockets camp will be less about finding bodies than about choosing combinations, roles and minutes that make sense around the core. There are a few names in the mix whose camp showings will matter a lot for the way Houston handles its backcourt and its long-term planning, and the competition there figures to be one of the more interesting early storylines in camp. [Read more 🡒]