Rockets Rumors: Did Amen Thompson Take a Discount on His New Contract?

Rockets Rumors: Did Amen Thompson Take a Discount on His New Contract?

More details about Amen Thompson's contract extension with the Houston Rockets have emerged.

On Thursday, ESPN NBA insider reported that the Houston Rockets re-signed wing player Amen Thompson to a five-year, $208 million contract. The move keeps the former lottery pick with the team long term and lays an important foundation for the Rockets' future development.

Although Thompson will receive a massive amount of money, The Ringer's Zach Lowe recently reported that Thompson actually gave up some salary in this contract.

According to sources, Amen Thompson's extension does not include an "escalator clause" (a clause initially reported by Shams Charania). Even if he is selected to an All-NBA team or wins Defensive Player of the Year, the contract value will not increase. The deal is below Thompson's maximum salary potential, but it is still clearly a massive contract. Charania reported this on X (formerly Twitter).

The structure of the contract is similar to the extension recently signed by San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, which also did not include any escalator clauses, giving the Spurs more room in future financial operations.

Thompson has established himself as one of the NBA's best defensive players, and his brother, Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson, has done the same. During his brief NBA career, Thompson has also continued working to improve his playmaking ability and finishing around the basket.

However, his biggest weakness may also be one of the most impactful at the NBA level: a lack of outside shooting ability. Over the past few seasons, this has created significant spacing issues for the Houston Rockets, especially considering that his teammate Alperen Sengun is also not known for his shooting.

Whether Thompson can fully prove he deserves this new contract by improving his outside shooting ability remains to be seen.