Amen Thompson’s path to true stardom in Houston does not have to run through the three-point line, even if that’s the most obvious road map.
That’s the basic case here: the easy projection is to imagine Thompson adding a jumper and suddenly vaulting into the NBA’s top tier. But if that never happens, he still has two other routes to becoming the kind of player who can command serious money on his next deal. The question is whether those routes can get him to the level of a player worth around $50 million per year.
The first route is all about pressure at the rim. Thompson already finished 76.0% of his shots from zero to three feet in 2025-26.
That’s strong, but it still trails Giannis Antetokounmpo, who hit 80.0% of those attempts, and Giannis once reached 83.7% in 2022-23. If Thompson can push his own efficiency past that 80% mark while maintaining his current volume, he could become such a force around the basket that he survives as a star without needing to lean on the three.
If that doesn’t happen, the other answer is defense.
Last season, Thompson took on more offensive responsibility and his defensive impact dipped. He went from 14.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in 2024-25 to 18.3 points and 5.3 assists per game, but his blocks fell from 1.3 to 0.6.
The point isn’t just the block total, though. The broader issue is that his defensive effort clearly slid as his workload grew.
And if Thompson is going to make the jump to a $50 million player without a reliable three, that can’t happen again.
The offensive version alone is not enough. Neither is 14.1 points and 3.8 assists with real Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, and neither is 18.3 points and 5.3 assists without anything close to that defensive recognition.
What does work is a player who gives you 18 and 5 while also drawing DPOTY consideration. That starts to look like max-contract territory.
The company Thompson would be keeping in that scenario is rarefied. Ben Simmons was mentioned as a benchmark for offensive production and defensive standing.
LeBron James at his peak was the league’s best player on both ends and could shoot as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo is another reference point.
That’s the bar. If Thompson can’t get there through elite rim finishing or by becoming one of the league’s best wing defenders along with strong secondary playmaking, then the three-pointer starts to feel less like a luxury and more like the only clean route to superstardom.
In Other News...
Rockets Just Made A Huge Statement About Amen Thompsons Future
Amen Thompsons rise in Houston has moved from promise to priority, with the Rockets locking in the former No. 4 pick as a central part of their long-term plan. Over his first three seasons, Thompson has already put himself on a very short list of young players whose impact stretches well beyond scoring, earning All-Defensive First Team honors and logging more minutes than anyone else in the league last season.
For a Rockets team built around a fast-growing young core, the agreement sends a clear message about where the franchise believes Thompson fits. The extension will begin after his current rookie contract, giving Houston stability around one of its most important pieces while also signaling confidence that his two-way value is only going to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Made Amen Thompson Their Future Centerpiece
Amen Thompsons rise from high-upside prospect to one of the Rockets defining players has moved quickly enough to reshape the franchises long-term picture. Over three seasons, he has taken on a bigger role in Houston, earned All-Defensive first-team honors and even led the NBA in total minutes played in the 2025-26 season, a sign of how central he has become on both ends of the floor.
The Rockets have now locked in that trajectory with a new rookie-scale extension, making a clear bet that Thompson is more than just part of the core - he is one of the players around whom the next era will be built. It is the kind of move that settles one question while pushing the real ones further down the road: just how high his ceiling goes, and how quickly Houston can turn that into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Made Their Biggest Bet Yet On Amen Thompson
Amen Thompsons rise has gone from promising to unavoidable, and the Rockets have now put a major stamp on that belief. After showing enough in his early days to convince the front office he can be part of the franchises core, Thompson has settled in as one of the most important young pieces on a roster still being shaped around upside, athleticism and long-term growth.
Houston is betting that Thompsons current skill set is only the beginning, because the real appeal is what he could become as the team pushes toward contention. The commitment also puts him near the top of the payroll picture, a sign of how much the Rockets value his trajectory and how central they expect him to be when the next version of this team is ready to matter. [Read more 🡒]