The Houston Rockets are no longer living in the NBA Draft Lottery basement, and Amen Thompson is a big reason why. What was once a rebuilding team piling up losses has turned into a 52-30 playoff club, with a young core that includes Alperen Sengun, Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard.
Among that group, Thompson has already carved out a special place. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft logged more total minutes than anyone else on the roster last season, and in his third year with Houston he put up 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals across 79 games.
The Rockets doubled down on that trajectory last month, signing Thompson to a five-year, $208 million extension. When that deal begins, he is set to become the team’s highest-paid player, a clear sign of how much the organization believes in his future. Thompson is already a one-time All-Defensive selection, and the expectation now is that he keeps climbing into true franchise-cornerstone territory.
His calling card is easy to spot. Thompson brings defensive bite, can play multiple spots, and attacks with explosiveness. If that year-to-year progress keeps going, 2027 could be the season he lands his first All-Star nod.
The path won’t be simple. Under the current All-Star format, the Team USA Stars group is stacked with younger talent, putting Thompson in the mix with Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Maxey.
The biggest swing skill remains his shooting. Thompson has a career 21.9% mark from three, and both his long-range and mid-range touch still lag behind the rest of his game.
That’s where Chip Engelland enters the picture. The highly regarded Rockets assistant is expected to help sharpen Thompson’s mechanics, and the two have already begun working together during training camp.
Houston can live with Thompson’s current scoring role for now, especially with Kevin Durant clearly operating as the first option. But if Thompson is going to be viewed as a legitimate star, his scoring load likely has to rise.
Fred VanVleet’s return to the starting lineup will also shape how Thompson is used. He should still handle some point guard duties, but the plan is for him to spend most of his time at shooting guard.
The upward trend is there. Thompson has not shown any real ceiling on his growth yet, and if that continues, the pressure and the opportunity for a breakthrough in 2027 will only grow.
In Other News...
Ime Udoka Faces A Pressure Houston Fans Can Feel Growing
Ime Udoka enters this season with the kind of scrutiny that comes with coaching a team that is expected to win now. ESPN recently placed him near the top of its pressure list for NBA coaches, and it is easy to see why in Houston. The Rockets have reached the playoffs multiple times under Udoka, but the group has yet to get beyond the first round, even with a roster that has been loaded up with talent and a long-term extension already in place for the coach.
Houston has also made clear it is done waiting around, investing heavily in the core while expecting cleaner offense and sharper execution when games tighten up. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson give the Rockets plenty to work with, but the pressure around the group only grows if the spacing still clogs up and the late possessions remain shaky. For Udoka, the next step is no longer about simply getting the Rockets back into the bracket. It is about proving this version can handle the moments that decide whether the season becomes progress or disappointment. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Get An Early Test Against A Rockets Team Loaded With Options
The Rockets will get an early chance to sort through their options when they face the Mavericks in a preseason game in Macao as part of the NBA China Games series. It is the kind of setting that can tell a coaching staff plenty, especially with Houston still evaluating lineups, starting jobs and the way its rotation might settle before the regular season begins.
Fred VanVleet is expected to be back in the mix after missing last season with an ACL injury, giving Houston another established guard to plug into the picture alongside a roster that already has plenty of moving parts. With roles still up for grabs and the backcourt expected to draw extra attention, the Rockets can use these games to see which combinations work best and which players are ready to push for bigger minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Using This Trip To Answer One Big Roster Question
The Rockets made a small roster move this week, waiving two-way center Rafael Castro as training camp and preseason evaluations continue to shape the edges of the roster. It is the kind of decision that says as much about the teams internal confidence as it does about Castros standing, especially with Houston already leaning on a crowded frontcourt and still sorting through how best to fill out its developmental pipeline.
For a team trying to balance present-day depth with long-term flexibility, the open two-way slot now becomes the next little decision worth watching. There are multiple names in play, and the Rockets have some options already in the building if they want to look inward, but this is the sort of choice that can quietly reveal how they view the back end of the roster before the season hardens. [Read more 🡒]