On Thursday, the Houston Rockets officially announced they have secured Amen Thompson with a contract extension. Sources via ESPN’s Shams Charania report that the agreement spans five years and is valued at $208 million.
“Amen embodies all the qualities we strive for in our franchise,” remarked Rafael Stone, the general manager of the Rockets. “He possesses exceptional skills on both ends of the floor, a resilient attitude, a drive to outperform his rivals, and a fierce competitive spirit in any situation. With each passing season, he has refined every area of his play, and we are confident that his peak performances are still to come.”
This new agreement for Thompson, who was selected fourth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, features a 10% trade bonus as well. Currently in the final year of his initial four-year rookie contract from 2023, he is set to make $12.3 million this season before the salary bump from his extension takes effect next summer.
The 23-year-old Thompson offers versatility as both a guard and a forward. During the previous season, he topped the league in total minutes on court (2,953.2) and achieved personal-best averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals while converting 53.4% of his field goal attempts. Additionally, his stellar defensive contributions secured him a spot on the 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Last year, just nine players across the league managed to average at least 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Thompson belonged to this exclusive group, which also featured Alperen Şengün, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Johnson, Paolo Banchero, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum.
Houston wrapped up their previous campaign in the fifth spot of the Western Conference standings before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games during the first round of the postseason.
