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Grading Amen Thompson’s $208 Million Contract Extension: Rockets’ Clock Is Ticking
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- Grading Amen Thompson’s $208 Million Contract Extension: Rockets’ Clock Is Ticking
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets just made a massive bet on Amen Thompson . Houston agreed to a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale extension that keeps Thompson under contract through 2032, with a 10% trade kicker included, according to Shams Charania .
The deal doesn't quite reach the maximum, but make no mistake: $208 million is superstar money.
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And honestly? Houston had to do it. Thompson is only 23 years old, just finished a season in which he averaged career highs of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, and he led the NBA in total minutes played (2,953). He also shot an impressive 53.4% from the field.
But there's a gigantic "however" attached to this deal: Thompson still isn't a reliable perimeter shooter, as he shot 21.6% from three.
Still, the Rockets believe they have their guy, and now they need to start winning like it. Let's grade the contract extension and dive into some major talking points.
Rockets Had To Extend Their Franchise Player
There really wasn't much choice here. Thompson has developed from the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft into arguably the most important player on Houston's roster.
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His 2025-26 season was a major step forward offensively, as he increased his scoring to 18.3 points per game while also averaging 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He started all 79 games he played and became one of the league's most versatile two-way players.
And that's the thing about Thompson: the box score doesn't fully explain why Houston values him so highly.
At 6'7″, Thompson has the physical tools to defend guards, wings, and bigger forwards. He already has an All-Defensive First Team selection to his name, even if he missed out on it last season (finished 8th in DPOY voting).
Houston isn't paying $208 million for the player who averaged 18.3 points last season; it's more about his elite defense.
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The alternative would have been to allow Thompson to enter the final year of his rookie contract and gamble on what his price would be later.
That would've been dangerous.
If Thompson develops even modestly as a shooter and jumps from an 18-point scorer into the low-20s while maintaining his defense, rebounding, and playmaking, this contract could look very reasonable by the time it kicks in. The only reason this deal doesn't get a full A is because of the weaknesses Thompson still has in his game.
Grade: A-
Thompson Is The Most Athletic Player And Defender In The League
Pretty much nobody in the NBA can physically do what Amen Thompson can do. He is a rare athlete who can erase mistakes with sheer explosiveness. He can stay attached to smaller guards, recover when beaten, and contest shots with his length. Remember, this is an All-Defensive First Team member in the 2024-25 season.
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And unlike a defensive specialist who becomes a liability on the other end, Thompson has shown that he can rebound and initiate offense himself.
He averaged 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals last season, while playing a league-leading 2,953 minutes (averaging 37.4 minutes per game). That's an enormous workload for a player still developing his game.
The most encouraging part may be his growth as a creator. Houston increasingly trusted him with the ball, and his 5.3 assists per game show that his offensive value extends beyond finishing at the rim.
That's why I'm comfortable with Houston paying him this much.
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You cannot teach Amen Thompson's physical gifts; you can teach the other things, such as making jumpers and making the right plays.
You can't teach a 6'7″ athlete to move like Amen Thompson, and that's the bet Houston is making.
A Jumpshot Must Follow ASAP
Amen Thompson is not a perfect player, but that has to change immediately.
To his credit, Thompson massively improved his free-throw shooting last season, taking his previous career mark of 68.4% to 77.9%. That will absolutely work moving forward. But the outside jumper needs to follow.
Thompson shot 21.6% from three in 2025-26 and is only nailing 21.9% for his career. The Rockets need him to become a genuine perimeter threat, not merely a player who occasionally makes an open three.
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Because defenses aren't stupid. If Thompson can't consistently punish teams from outside, opponents will sag off him.
And when Thompson shares the floor with Alperen Sengun , another player who isn't a high-volume three-point shooter, Houston will struggle offensively.
That's the biggest concern with the $208 million investment.
If he can develop into even a league-average three-point shooter on legitimate volume (36% at least), everything changes. His driving lanes become wider, and even players like Sengun will be more effective.
The Rockets don't need Amen Thompson to become an elite shooter because he will never be that. But making at least 36% of his threes means defenses have to get closer to him, and that means free reign to the basket.
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The Rockets Need To Start Reaching Their Potential
The pressure is on for the Rockets. Houston has spent years collecting young talent, and the organization has now committed major money to its core.
Thompson joins Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. , and Tari Eason as players Houston has invested in for the long term. And then the Rockets went and added Kevin Durant last season.
The Rockets did decently well, finishing the season with 52 wins as the 5th seed in the West but ultimately fell flat in the playoffs again.
Houston is no longer simply a promising young team waiting for its prospects to mature. Durant is turning 38 soon (after averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while making the All-NBA Second Team last season), and the Rockets can't afford to waste the remaining elite years of his career simply figuring themselves out.
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That's why the next couple of seasons matter so much.
The young Rockets have been given time; now they need to show something for it.
Making the playoffs is no longer enough. Houston has to start winning playoff series, and eventually it needs to become a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
The first-round exits have to stop, and the "young" excuse has to end. Losing to the old and injury-ravaged Golden State Warriors in seven games in 2024-25, and then losing to the LeBron James-led Lakers without Luka Doncic in six games last season is enough embarrassment for them.
Is Kevin Durant A Goner After This Season?
We aren't sure what the enigma that is Kevin Durant will do.
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Durant was fantastic last season, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game on 52.0% from the field, 41.3% from three, and 87.4% from the stripe. He averaged an impressive 36.4 minutes per game and started 78 games at 37 years old, while making the All-NBA Second Team.
Durant's current contract is a two-year, $90 million extension, with a player option for 2027-28. He is scheduled to make roughly $45 million in 2026-27, meaning Houston isn't automatically losing him after this season.
But he's also nearly 38, and that's why Houston's 2026-27 season is so important.
If the Rockets finally break through and look like a genuine championship contender, why wouldn't Durant want to stick around? Houston could become exactly what Durant signed up for: a talented young roster with an opportunity to contend around him.
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But if the Rockets stumble again? It might be time for the legend to move on.
Durant has spent his career competing for championships. He isn't going to sit around indefinitely waiting for a young team to figure itself out.
That's why the Thompson extension isn't happening in a vacuum.
Houston has Thompson locked up through 2032, and it has Durant potentially around through 2027-28.
Those timelines overlap, but the Rockets need to make the overlap count.
Can The Rockets Win With Two Non-Shooters?
This might be the most important basketball question of all.
Thompson and Sengun are both incredibly talented offensive players, but neither is someone defenses currently fear as a high-volume perimeter shooter. That creates a spacing puzzle for Houston.
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Sengun is at his best when he's operating as a playmaking hub around the basket. He is shooting 28.1% from three for his career and only shot 30.5% last season. His free-throw shooting isn't great, either, as he nailed only 69.1% from the stripe with a career mark of 69.9%.
The Turkish big man is an All-Star who averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 51.9% from the field. But the shooting issues will plague him and the team moving forward, no matter what the resume says.
Put Sengun and Thompson together without enough shooting around them, and the court can become crowded very quickly.
If Thompson develops his jumper, suddenly the equation looks much different. Defenders have to close out on him, which opens driving lanes. Sengun gets more room in the middle. Houston can run more actions through both players without allowing opponents to simply pack the paint.
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And that's ultimately why I don't view the Thompson contract as an overpay.
I'm betting on the shot. But if it doesn't work out over the next few years?
Then Houston has committed $208 million to a phenomenal defender who opponents may still strategically ignore offensively, and that's the risk.
Final Verdict: The Contract Is Worth The Gamble
I would give the Rockets an A- for the extension. Not because Thompson is already worth $208 million based strictly on his offensive production. He isn't there yet.
But because Houston is betting on a 23-year-old who has already demonstrated several skills that are extremely difficult to find in one player. Thompson averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists last season while shooting 53.4% from the field and leading the NBA in minutes.
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That's a foundation worth betting on, but the results have to follow over the next few seasons.
Thompson needs the jumper, Sengun needs to keep evolving with his own jumper, and the young core needs to stop the first-round hiccups. And with Durant nearing the end of his career, Houston needs to figure out how good it actually is right now.
The clock isn't ticking on Durant's time in Houston, but on the actual core of the team.
