Though both are extension eligible heading into their fourth NBA seasons, the Houston Rockets don’t have to decide on the next contract for Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun until 2025.
Both would be restricted free agents, should Houston wait.
But be it now or in a year, each has shown enough flashes of brilliance that the Rockets will likely have to pay a premium to keep them around for the next stage of their development.
Speaking on Run It Back on FanDuel TV, longtime NBA insider Shams Charania (The Athletic, Stadium) said this week:
The Rockets went after Mikal Bridges last season. They’ve already shown this desire to get a top-flight player at the wing position. But Jalen Green, the way he emerged in the second half of the season, clearly they have a burgeoning star in him. Alperen Sengun, look at the numbers he put up.
To me the question is going to be, what type of extensions do you give both of them? Do you give them both max deals? Are they both worthy of max deals? Do you look to trade one of them and go get a star player? That’s the question in Houston.
They’re going to be active on the market, they’re gonna listen. But what they end up doing… it’s either going to be paying these guys either just shy of the max or maxes, or you’re going to have to trade one of them.
Regarding a top-flight wing player, Houston is reportedly monitoring the status of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland.
#Rockets thoughts via Shams pic.twitter.com/2XNB8FvtRc
— Chris Gorman (@GormanChristoph) June 10, 2024
As for extensions, by waiting until 2025, the Rockets could include another season’s worth of data when determining a potential offer. In Sengun’s case, as the No. 16 overall pick from the 2021 draft, they could also take advantage of a relatively low “cap hold” on their 2025 salary books — as compared to a maximum-contract deal.
But if either Sengun or Green is willing to give something of a discount for the sake of getting their financial security a year early, it could make sense for the Rockets to act in 2024.
On the other hand, if the Rockets aren’t confident in eventually reaching what they view as a fair contract agreement, general manager Rafael Stone could have more leverage via trade talks in 2024 — as opposed to waiting until restricted free agency in 2025.
The 2024 deadline to extend players on rookie-scale contracts is just prior to October’s opening day of the 2024-25 regular-season, which could act as something of an inflection point. Stay tuned!
