Earlier this offseason, the San Antonio Spurs re-signed Victor Wembanyama to a five-year, $252 million contract extension. Wemby and the Spurs just reached the NBA Finals, and locking up their franchise player for the next several years makes perfect sense. Just down I-10, the Houston Rockets are making similar moves, signing Amen Thompson to a massive extension.
Thompson and the Rockets agreed to a five-year, $208 million contract extension. That makes Thompson and Wembanyama the only two players from the 2023 NBA Draft to sign rookie extensions so far. They’re on their teams’ books for a collective $460 million.
Thompson’s deal includes a 10% trade kicker, and it’s the same percentage of the salary cap that Alperen Sengun signed back in 2024, when he re-upped for $185 million over five seasons.
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The duo of Thompson and Sengun will continue leading the Rockets into the future, as the franchise looks to make another trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995. With Kevin Durant coming back for another season and Fred VanVleet returning from a right ACL and meniscus tears, the team is putting pieces together for a deep playoff run.
Houston selected Thompson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, and he’s kept improving each season. Last year, he led the NBA in minutes played and posted career bests in points (18.3), assists (5.3), and steals (1.5). Already a plus defender when he entered the league, he’s evolved into one of the most tenacious defensive stoppers in the entire NBA.
Now, Thompson is looking for a taste of playoff glory. The Rockets won 52 games in both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, but have zero postseason series wins to show for it. Next season, the Western Conference will once again be crowded with several strong teams. Houston has built a roster primarily filled with younger talent including Thompson, Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason, complemented with a few choice veterans like Durant and VanVleet.
Is it enough to win a championship? That remains to be seen, but it’s clear the Rockets are willing to spend to try and make a splash.
