The Houston Rockets have spent the offseason quietly, but one name keeps rising to the top of any serious conversation about their future: Amen Thompson.
If the Rockets ever decide to swing big on a blockbuster deal, Thompson is the kind of player other teams would immediately ask for. That’s the reality when you have a 23-year-old wing who has already become one of the league’s most intriguing two-way talents.
Thompson is heading into his fourth NBA season, and last year was the best of his career by a wide margin. He put up 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, showing just how much he can impact a game in every direction. He has taken a step forward every season since entering the league, but this past year was the one that really made him stand out as one of the NBA’s most versatile young stars.
What jumps off the page first is the defense. Thompson earned First Team All-Defensive honors and spent the season as Houston’s go-to stopper.
Night after night, he drew the opposing team’s best perimeter threat. His size, athleticism, instincts, and nonstop motor let him cover almost every spot on the floor.
Players this young usually don’t become that kind of difference-making defender this quickly.
There was also real growth on the other end, especially when the Rockets needed him to handle point guard duties after Fred VanVleet suffered an ACL injury. That was not Thompson’s natural role, but he stepped into it and managed the offense well enough. His playmaking sharpened as the season went on, and he showed he could organize the team while still putting pressure on the rim.
The biggest swing skill for Thompson is still the jumper. Defenses continue to give him space because his three-point shot is inconsistent, and that remains the area that can unlock the next level of his game.
Even a stronger mid-range touch would change how opponents have to guard him. If that shot comes around, the superstar conversation gets a lot more real.
That’s why the Rockets should treat him as close to untouchable as it gets.
He is still on his rookie-scale contract for one more season, which only adds to his value. A player with elite defensive tools, rare athleticism, improving playmaking, and plenty of room left to grow does not come around often.
Of course, the NBA is still the NBA. Nobody is truly untouchable if the right superstar hits the market.
But Thompson is the kind of player Houston should be in no rush to move. He’s 23, he’s rare, and he looks like a piece the Rockets will have around for a long time.
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