ESPN Reporter: Rockets Could Easily Trade Amen, as His Salary Cap Share Is Only 20%

In the latest episode of a podcast, ESPN reporters Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon discussed the early contract extension recently signed by Houston Rockets rising star Amen Thompson. The agreement between Amen and the Rockets is for five years with a total value of $208 million. During the program, Windhorst raised a question: "If you were the Rockets' general manager, would you be able to successfully trade this contract in the future?" Although Amen is currently not eligible to be traded, MacMahon expressed optimism about the possibility.

He pointed out that from a team's perspective, the key factor considered in a trade is the player's share of the salary cap. Amen currently occupies only about 20% of the salary cap space, which makes him highly attractive on the trade market and could make him a target for other teams.

Looking back at Amen's performance last season, he appeared in 79 regular-season games and averaged 37.4 minutes per game. His averages were 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, along with 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks. During that period, he shot 53.4% from the field, 21.6% from three-point range, and 77.9% from the free-throw line. In the following playoffs, Amen also performed well, appearing in six games and averaging 44.1 minutes per game, contributing 19.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, while recording 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. During that stretch, his shooting percentage was 48.8%, while his three-point and free-throw percentages improved to 25.0% and 70.7%, respectively. This shows that Amen, as a young player with significant potential, has considerable market value.