The Pistons’ new deal for Ausar Thompson may have done more than lock in a key young piece. It also offered a pretty clear measuring stick for what the Rockets think of Amen Thompson.
Ausar signed a 5-year, $155 million extension with Detroit, a number that sits well below the 5-year, $208 million deal Amen already secured. That gap says plenty about how much Houston values Amen’s offensive game, not just the defensive havoc he can create.
The twins have both already built reputations on that end of the floor. Each has earned a First Team All-Defense nod, and Ausar added another line to his résumé last season by finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting while helping Detroit win 60 games. Amen has the same kind of defensive ceiling, but he’s asked to do far more on offense.
Last season, Amen put up 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game while often running the Rockets’ offense. Ausar’s numbers were far lighter: 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game. He may eventually grow into more creation responsibility, but right now Amen is the more complete player and the bigger driver of winning.
That’s part of why Houston sees him as someone who can help chase a title immediately, especially with Kevin Durant still on the roster and in the aging-star phase. Amen’s two-way flashes have the look of a player who could be in All-NBA territory before long. Detroit, meanwhile, is making its own bet: that Ausar can thrive as a major piece, but that the Pistons still need more scoring help around him, and that reality showed up in the contract.
The Rockets have not always been eager to pay up on extensions. That could be shifting this offseason, with Jalen Duren’s talks still ongoing after an All-NBA selection and a disappointing playoff run. Houston has usually gotten strong value on young-player deals and rookie extensions, which only makes Amen’s contract look even more like a statement about his ceiling.
None of that means Ausar can’t matter on a contender. Both brothers have already played important roles for teams that finished near the top of the standings, with Detroit finishing first in the East last season and Houston finishing second in the West the year before.
Still, the roles are not identical. Amen can be viewed as the kind of player who can sit at the center of a real contender.
Ausar looks more like a high-end support piece. Houston appears to value Amen and Alperen Sengun almost equally moving forward, which leaves room for either one to emerge as the top guy on a championship team.
In Detroit, the hierarchy is much clearer: Cade Cunningham is the best player, and everyone else fits around him.
Some of that is simply because of Cade’s level, but putting Amen on the Pistons would almost certainly change the equation. His willingness to attack on offense gives Detroit something Ausar still doesn’t provide in the same way, and that kind of aggression would open up more in the playoffs.
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Rockets Fans Now Have One Big Question About The Next Move
ESPNs Brian Windhorst has put a little more fuel on the idea that the Rockets may not be done making bold moves, suggesting their mix of young talent and past trade activity could leave them open to another significant deal down the line. Houston has already been active this offseason, adding veterans such as Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic while continuing to shape a roster that is trying to compete now without losing sight of its long-term core.
The biggest question, of course, is which pieces would even be in play if the Rockets did decide to swing again. One player who looks far less likely to move after his recent extension is Amen Thompson, and beyond that there has not been any official sign that a major trade is around the corner. For now, the intrigue is less about a specific deal than the possibility that Houston is still willing to keep looking for one more upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Camp Opens With Real Pressure On Houston's Biggest Names
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The pressure here is less about the idea of contention than the harder task of making the pieces fit with urgency. Houston needs leadership, clarity and a cleaner baseline from its core, and the coming weeks will go a long way toward showing whether the group can meet those expectations before the season starts to ask even more of them. [Read more 🡒]
Reed Sheppard's Next Rockets Leap May Depend On One Teammate
Reed Sheppard has already shown one skill that translates cleanly at the NBA level, with his outside shooting giving the Rockets a real spacing weapon. The next step is less about the jumper and more about the rest of his offensive package, especially his playmaking and his ability to score when he gets into the paint area.
Steven Adams looms large in that conversation because his screens and veteran presence can open the kind of pick-and-roll looks that help a guard like Sheppard see the floor more clearly. If Adams is available and functioning as one of Houstons better screen-setters, Sheppard should have a better chance to find pockets of space, turn those into easier reads and push his offense beyond just what he can do from deep. [Read more 🡒]