Amen Thompson is poised for a breakout year. Already one of the league’s best perimeter defenders whose offensive game keeps improving each season, the 23-year-old is on the verge of becoming one of the league’s brightest young stars.
The Houston Rockets are paying him like one. Thompson and the Rockets have agreed to a five-year, $208 million contract extension, a deal broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by other reports. The contract includes a 10% trade kicker.
This is a win for both sides. It’s a big payday for Thompson (starting next season), an average of $41.5 million per season for five years is generational wealth. For Houston, they lock a young star in at less than the 25% max he might have gotten in the non-apron era ($252 million), giving them a little more flexibility in future years.
Thompson’s value starts on defense: He has been top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting each of the last two years, and two seasons ago was named First Team All-Defense. Thompson led the NBA in total minutes played last season at 2,953. On offense, with point guard Fred VanVleet out for the season, coach Ime Udoka asked Thompson to take over more of that role and he responded with 18.3 points (a career high), 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, and the team had a +6.6 net rating in his minutes.
With VanVleet back, Thompson can return to his more natural off-ball, secondary-creator role. He still does his damage attacking the rim, with 72% of his shot attempts coming within 10 feet of the basket and shooting 21.6% from 3-point range last season.
Thompson is only the second player from the 2023 draft class to sign a rookie extension after three seasons, joining Victor Wembanyama. Thompson will make $12.3 million this season on the last year of his rookie deal before the new contract kicks in.
Houston has now locked down much of its young core with extensions already in place for Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.
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