The Pistons and Rockets have both made their choice, and it comes down to the same kind of bet: big money on a young non-shooter with real talent and real questions.
Detroit locked up Jalen Duren on a 5-year, $200 million deal after a long offseason of negotiations. Houston already got Amen Thompson on a 5-year, $208 million extension that begins next year. In the current cap landscape, those contracts land in nearly the same neighborhood, and both teams are banking on upside more than certainty.
That’s the common thread here. Neither franchise is paying for a finished product. They’re paying for the possibility that Duren and Thompson can keep climbing even if the spacing around them is not ideal.
Duren and Thompson have been on similar tracks in terms of overall impact, even if they get there in different ways. Duren had the stronger offensive season last year, putting up 19.5 points per game, but his playoff showing raised fresh doubts. Thompson, meanwhile, has built a stronger defensive résumé so far in his career.
Both players are being talked about like top-30 to top-40 talents entering the season, but that kind of status alone won’t justify five-year commitments this large. The pressure is baked into the deal.
Houston has shown plenty of confidence in Thompson. He signed earlier in the offseason and without the same public drama that followed Duren’s negotiations, where his agent pushed hard to get the full $200 million and waited until the last minute.
The Rockets also have reasons beyond faith alone. Thompson has already made First Team All-Defense, and he flashed major offensive growth without a point guard.
With veteran floor general Fred VanVleet back in the rotation, Thompson should have a cleaner offensive job. That could free him up to focus more on creating his own shot and broadening his scoring game, with All-Star consideration not out of the question.
Still, there’s a reason these deals carry risk. Thompson’s shooting remains a major concern in today’s NBA, and Duren has the same issue, even if it’s less damaging at center. That limitation matters even more when each player is paired with another non-shooter, as in Thompson’s case with Alperen Sengun and Duren’s with Ausar Thompson.
The league keeps leaning toward shooting and offensive versatility. The Rockets and Pistons are leaning the other way. Now they’ve both committed huge extensions, and the success of those decisions will depend on whether Duren and Thompson can keep developing into the players their teams are paying for.
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 🡒]