Rockets Could Easily Trade Amen Thompson, With Salary Cap Share at Only 20%

In a recent podcast episode, renowned ESPN reporters Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon discussed the five-year, $208 million rookie extension that Houston Rockets backcourt prospect Amen Thompson has just agreed to. Windhorst asked whether, as the Rockets' general manager, this contract could potentially be traded in the future, even though Amen is not currently eligible to be traded.

MacMahon responded affirmatively, saying that such a trade would undoubtedly be feasible. He pointed out that a player's share of the salary cap is an important reference point when teams consider trades. Amen's salary occupying only around 20% of the cap gives him significant appeal in the trade market.

Looking back at last season, Amen appeared in 79 regular-season games, averaging 37.4 minutes per game and delivering an impressive performance, with averages of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He also recorded 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game, while shooting 53.4% from the field. Meanwhile, his three-point shooting was a weakness, with a percentage of just 21.6%, but he maintained a 77.9% free-throw percentage.

Entering the playoffs, Amen further improved his performance, increasing his average playing time to 44.1 minutes over six games while averaging 19.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. His defense was also notable, with his steals rising to 2.0 per game and his blocks increasing to 1.2 per game. Although his field-goal percentage dropped to 48.8% during the playoffs and his three-point percentage was 25.0%, he still showed solid free-throw ability with a 70.7% success rate. Such a performance further increased Amen's trade potential.