Amen Thompson's big pay day - how he will impact the Rockets
Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. talk about Amen Thompson's recent contract extension and how this summer's roster additions will make him more of a swiss army knife this upcoming season. Check out the full conversation on "The Dunker Spot" and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
We will move forward as we stick out West, Steve.
The Rockets and Amen Thompson.
We have a rookie scale extension, not the full max for Amen Thompson, which was fascinating to me in this apron world.
But five years, $208 million, still a nice bit of change.
A 10% trade kicker factored into that as well.
Per Zach Lowe, no contract escalators in the deal for Amen Thompson, so if he wins DPO or something like that, he's not gonna bump up to, like, a 25 or 30% or 35% max.
So seems like Rafael Stone has done it again within that perspective.
But away from that minutia, how do you feel about the Amen Thompson deal, Steve?
And what are your expectations for him heading into this upcoming season?
I mean, feels like a no-brainer.
If you're Houston, w- and whatever we're building now and whatever we're doing going forward, we want Amen Thompson here, and I think he showcased what he can do on both ends of the floor and, and I don't think he's hit the ceiling at this point.
And I think that's where you gotta kinda , kind of get curious because defensively, he is absolutely very tough to deal with.
Can guard multiple positions.
It's hard to, it's hard to really make him not impactful on that end of the floor.
I think we've continued to see offensive growth from him as far as you can use him in different ways and he's starting to understand how to have impact in different ways.
And so, okay, I can have the ball, I can find this comfort maybe mixing these mid-range shots, I can get to these drives.
I'm not necessarily someone that you're game planning against right now, but- Mm-hmm I th- I help my team win in different ways.
So I can be at the dunker spot, I can be involved in on-ball actions, I can be a screener, I can cut off the ball.
And so as I'm getting better, I'm still trying to fit within the context, and I haven't necessarily scratched the ceiling on what could unlock the next level for me.
If the mid-range shot gets better, what do you do with Amen Thompson?
If he mixes in just a few more catch and shoot threes, what do you do with Amen Thompson?
If the cutting gets even stronger, what do you do with Amen Thompson?
So there's a lot of potential for what we've seen, which again, was like, what, 18 a night, 5 assists?
18 and 5.
As somebody who people have questions marks about offensively, okay, if I get a little bit better at some of these things or if I master one of these abilities, what does that look like?
Yeah, I would-- I --if I'm Houston, I'd like to, I'd like to find out what that looks like.
I'd like that to be a part of our program.
So no doubt about it, it makes a ton of sense for Houston to go ahead and make sure Amen Thompson is a part of our program going forward.
Yeah.
Like, I love that he got his money because he is worth the money.
And again, I said at the top, a little bit surprised that it wasn't just the 25% max, because that's just generally what the high profile rookies get, even within this world.
And so to be able to negotiate that down a little bit, I was like, "Okay, this is interesting," but still enough for him to take it.
Now you look at Amen Thompson the player, and he, you know, did not make all defense last year, was still very good.
I think it, he had some slippage on that end because he had more on-ball responsibility.
The year before that was pretty easily an all defense first team member because of his ability to mirror in space, defend multiple positions, all the things that you listed, Steve.
And so now you enter this context with Fred VanVleet returning, and it's like, okay, the on-ball stuff can be more of a bonus for me, more than we need you to be Point Amen.
Also mix in the dunker spot usage, also have the transition scoring, and then also defend number ones or number twos depending on who the starting lineup was.
Shoutout Josh Okogie, et cetera.
I'm excited about him being more of a Swiss Army knife now, and I'm glad that you nailed some of the growth that he showcased as an interior scorer.
'Cause like the finishing kinda is what it is.
The Euro steps, the decels, everything you can get into.
Him becoming more comfortable with these pull-up midrange shots and like it really popped for me specifically in that January run that he had, where it's like, oh, he's averaging, like early on in that month, ended up averaging like 19 for the month of January.
But like early on, it's like, oh, he's averaging like 21, 22 a night and he's just sprinkling in these midrange jumpers and getting to these spots for the easy hoops.
Oh, I like this.
Has continued to build on that.
The defensive should perk back up with less on-ball responsibility in theory.
Very good news for him.
Salute to Amen Thompson, salute to the Houston Rockets.
We finally got a resolution from the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard and aspiration and all the things, and it is a hefty one.
Forfeiture of five first round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, from Zach Lowe.
The '29 unprotected first round pick from the Pacers as part of their Viska Zubac deal.
That is the '29 pick that's being forfeited, so that is tough.
$30 million fine.
Steve Ballmer suspended from all league and team activities for a year.
Gillian Zucker, President of Business Operations s-suspended for a year without pay.
Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations, suspended for six months.
Kawhi Leonard gonna have to pay back $700,000 in restitution.
It's finally over, Steve.
Any closing thoughts on what this entire ordeal has been and in general where the Clippers go from here?
Well, I once worked in the NBA and I worked for the Memphis Grizzlies and whomp that clip!
Whomp that clip!
Whomp that clip!
No way.
No way.
Well done.
I, I think it is unfortunate for Clipper fans first and foremost that they have to deal with all of this turmoil and the team builder restrictions that come with losing five unprotected or five first round picks.
That is nuts.
And it kind of sparks birder bigger picture thoughts for me with like , does Darius Garland become mobile if you want to replenish some of these picks and further lean into the rebuild?
Are you going to f-lean even further into the free agency chase next year, et cetera, to try to build out a competitor in light of the picks?
I'm just fascinated like what this is going to do to them from a team building perspective.
And finally, just a quick shout out to Pablo Torre, who has just been all over this .And continue to be all over this and continue to uncover and uncover and uncover and uncover like just a very impressive brand of investiga- investigative journalism that helped spark all of this.
And so I just wanna make sure I get the salute on tape.
But this just- Gotchu You, you can't do that if you were the Clippers and have this kinda trail on top of it.
Sure can't.
Yeah, it's yeah.
Nope.
Nope, can't do that.
Touch stove and you showed us you touched stove, can't do that.
Now what I will say, just a thought bubble for everyone out there.
You name the last five Clippers picks, First rounders.
Name em.
They I tell you what.
Th- I feel like I've had more fun with the second rounders for the Clippers than the first rounders, guess I'll put it that way.
Which I guess quick shout out to Yannick.
Yannick huh?.
That's good.
And then boy he got hurt. . Then who?
I, I see what's goin' on here.
I, I understand your broader point.
It hasn't been like the Clippers have nailed their first round picks.
But like even if in the event that you haven't nailed your first round picks, it is still important to have them if you want to trade them.
Like they just don't have- Damn They have those picks out and because they have those picks out even the picks that they do have they can't move 'em.
Because of the step-in rule which y-you know my thoughts on the step-in rule in 2026 but we'll leave that for another podcast.
It, they, they got some work to do.
And again I feel for the fans more than anything 'cause like they didn't ask for any of this and to be in the news for all of this.
Like it just kinda sucks for them.
And so we will see where the Clippers move forward.
Boy, look at you, look at you talk abouclip-about the Clippers you w-the way you have for the last three years and now you, you shouting out the fans.
I see you big dog watchu talking bout.
What'd you mean?
CAA.
