5-Year, $208 Million Extension! Amen Thompson's Salary Details Revealed, Rockets' Deal Seen as Highly Valuable

The NBA's Houston Rockets have officially completed an early extension with Amen Thompson, and the five-year, $208 million contract has sparked widespread discussion.

The outside debate has focused on Amen's shooting weakness, but his overall on-court value and the contract's cost-effectiveness contain details overlooked by many fans.

Amen Thompson's shooting ability is currently the most obvious offensive weakness of his career and the biggest point of controversy surrounding this maximum-level contract.

Only when Amen Thompson chooses to cut inside and attack the basket will Victor Wembanyama make a timely defensive switch to provide help. When Amen and Sengun are on the court together, the Rockets' spacing for their three perimeter shooters will be severely reduced, causing a noticeable decline in the team's overall offensive efficiency. This is also the main reason many fans and media members question whether Amen deserves a maximum contract.

Setting aside his shooting weakness, Amen Thompson's other on-court abilities are at an elite level among players at his position in the league. He possesses All-Defensive First Team-level individual defense, along with historic athleticism and strong stamina. Among the 2023 rookie class, his physical gifts are second only to No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, and his overall ability ranks among the top of his draft class.

During the playoffs, Amen's on-court value has increased further, with his impact on both ends of the floor continuing to grow. He has become an indispensable core player in the Rockets' playoff rotation.

Draymond Green previously publicly stated that the Rockets offering Amen Thompson a maximum contract was essentially a recognition that he is a foundational core player for the team.

Green also clearly stated that even if Amen Thompson's shooting ability never improves, his overall value in defense, stamina, and athleticism would still match the salary standard of a $40 million annual contract.

To specifically address Amen's shooting weakness, the Rockets invested multiple resources and successfully hired renowned league shooting coach Engelland to join the team.

Engelland has 17 years of coaching experience with the Spurs and worked with Rockets head coach Udoka for an extended period during that time. The two have a close personal relationship, and his move to the Rockets was also facilitated through Udoka's personal connection.

On September 10, 2026, the Rockets officially released photos of Amen Thompson's specialized training with Engelland, and the team has formally begun work on improving Amen's shooting technique.

During training, Engelland focused on adjusting Amen's shooting form and provided professional optimization suggestions regarding his release rhythm and power generation.

The Rockets have not required Amen to raise his three-point shooting to the league average level in the short term. The team has created a practical improvement plan suited to the player's current situation.

Rockets beat reporter Lachard Binkley revealed that the team is currently prioritizing improvements to Amen's mid-range shooting and ability to create offense with the ball in his hands, while three-point improvement is not part of the short-term training plan.

U.S. media outlet RocketsNationCP revealed two fixed development goals for Amen Thompson's new season. Amen needs to improve his mid-range shooting consistency, enhance his ability to create offense with the ball, and pursue an average of 20-plus points per game.

He also needs to consistently maintain an All-Defensive level of performance and continue his reliable switching and help-defense abilities. Amen Thompson's five-year, $208 million extension will officially take effect in the 2027-28 season.

The 2026-27 season will still be played under Amen's rookie contract, allowing the Rockets to continue benefiting from one more season of rookie-scale salary.

The contract salary increases annually, with the publicly available details as follows: a starting salary of $35.8 million in the 2027-28 season, $38.7 million in 2028-29, exceeding $41.6 million in 2029-30, $44.5 million in 2030-31, and a player option salary of $47.3 million in 2031-32.

Compared with a full maximum contract at the same level, the total salary of this deal reduces spending by $40 million. Under salary rules, Amen was eligible to sign a five-year, $250 million full maximum contract, and the final $208 million agreement saves the Rockets significant salary space.

The contract's overall salary accounts for around 21% of the Rockets' salary cap, with a reasonable structure that will not restrict the team's future roster improvements or salary management operations.