Amen Thompson is starting to collect the kind of praise that usually follows around established stars, and Tyrese Haliburton just added his name to the list.
On a recent episode of Numbers On The Board, the Indiana Pacers guard said Thompson and his twin brother Ausar are his favorite players to watch. Haliburton also told a story about trying to get Thompson’s jersey after a game in Houston.
“We played them in Houston. Before the game, I was like, ‘Yo fam, I need your jersey after the game.’
He's like, ‘For real?’ I'm like, ‘For real, I need your jersey after the game.
I played well.’ Game got done… He's like, ‘Man, I can't give you my jersey.
Ime will kill me.’ He's like, ‘Next time you come to Houston, I'll make sure you get that jersey.’”
That kind of attention makes sense after what Thompson has already put on tape. Last season, the Houston Rockets guard averaged 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds across 79 games, production that has pushed the 23-year-old into the conversation as a possible future franchise player.
Houston took Thompson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he arrived through a different path than most prospects. Instead of going through the NCAA, he spent his late teenage years developing in the Overtime Elite basketball league.
At 6-foot-7, Thompson has built a reputation over three seasons as a rare blend of athleticism, speed, versatility, and defensive impact. He finished in the top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in back-to-back years.
Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 season, Thompson is projected to stay in Houston’s starting shooting guard role. He’ll be alongside Fred VanVleet, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, with VanVleet’s return from a season-ending ACL injury standing out as the biggest change.
The Rockets also have to think about the bigger picture. Durant, who led the team in scoring last season at 37, is not expected to be part of Houston’s long-term plans, while Thompson represents the next wave.
That’s why the 2027 All-Star question matters. If Thompson keeps trending upward year after year, that recognition could be a useful marker for where his ceiling really sits.
For now, Haliburton’s endorsement only adds to the sense that Thompson’s profile is about to rise. He may still be flying a little under the national radar, but the runway is there for that to change fast next season.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Just Got Pulled Into A Wild Kevin Durant Trade Idea
The Kevin Durant chatter around Houston has picked up enough that it is no longer being framed as pure fantasy, even if the whole thing still lives firmly in speculation. The Rockets are reportedly open to looking at trade options for Durant, who is not being treated as untouchable in those discussions, and that alone is enough to keep the rumor mill spinning around a franchise that always seems to sit near the center of major offseason noise.
One proposed four-team scenario has only intensified the intrigue by pulling Cleveland into the conversation, giving the story a much bigger footprint than a simple Houston rumor. For now, though, it remains just that - a proposal, not a confirmed path, and certainly not something any of the teams involved has publicly backed. Still, for Rockets fans, the mere fact that these kinds of conversations are happening says plenty about how aggressively Houston may be willing to keep reworking its future. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Add Backcourt Depth As Offseason Roster Picture Takes Shape
The Rockets have added another name to their backcourt mix, agreeing to a two-way contract with free agent guard Sean Pedulla, according to his agent George S. Langberg. Pedulla comes to Houston after a stint with the Clippers on a two-way deal, and most of his 2025/26 season was spent in the G League, where he was productive enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
Once the signing becomes official, Houston will have 19 players under contract and Pedulla will fill the teams third two-way slot. Its another small but telling move as the Rockets offseason roster picture continues to come into focus, with the front office still sorting out how to balance depth, development and flexibility around the edges of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Mock Trade Would Completely Reframe Their Jalen Duren Decision
A fresh four-team mock trade is putting a familiar name back in the middle of the Rockets offseason conversation. In the scenario laid out by Heavys Adel Ahmad, Houston would be one of the clubs pulled into a massive swap with Cleveland, Detroit and the Clippers, the kind of deal that immediately changes the way each team would have to think about its frontcourt, backcourt and long-term direction.
For Houston, the appeal is obvious because the proposal would bring in James Harden and Sam Merrill while also adding a first-round pick. It is the sort of speculative framework that says as much about the market for star talent as it does about the Rockets appetite to keep building, and it leaves the larger question hanging over the roster: how much value would Houston place on making a splash now versus staying patient with its current trajectory? [Read more 🡒]