As previous reports indicated, the Houston Rockets officially picked up the contract options on Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun ahead of the NBA’s annual Oct. 31 deadline for such decisions.
Contracts for first-round draft picks are only guaranteed for the first two seasons; the third and fourth years are at the team’s discretion. Smith and Eason were drafted in the 2022 first round, while Green and Sengun were selections from the 2021 draft class.
Since all four are productive players for the Rockets, the decision to pick up those contract options for 2024-25 was largely a formality. However, it is a procedural step general manager Rafael Stone was required to do to keep them on their current deals.
Green and Sengun will earn $12.5 and $5.4 million in 2024-25, respectively, while Smith and Eason will make $9.8 and $3.7 million. The higher figures for Green and Smith are because their draft slots (No. 2 and No. 3 in 2021 and 2022) correspond with higher figures.
Green and Sengun will be eligible for contract extensions once the 2023-24 league year concludes.
From the team’s official announcement, here’s a look at miscellaneous facts and figures about each of those four players to date.
Jalen Green (from Rockets PR)
Green was the No. 2 overall pick by Houston in the 2021 NBA draft. He was an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2021-22 and averaged a team-high 22.1 points last season.
Green became the fifth player who recorded at least 1,000 points and 200 free throw attempts as a rookie to have increased their totals by 500 points and 200 free-throw attempts in their second season, joining Nate Archibald, Dave Bing, Bob McAdoo and Jerry West.
Alperen Sengun (from Rockets PR)
Sengun was the No. 16 overall pick by Oklahoma City in the 2021 NBA draft before his rights were acquired by Houston.
He is one of 16 players in NBA history to have recorded at least 1,800 points, 1,000 rebounds, 450 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks through the first two seasons of a career.
Sengun joins Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Nikola Jokić as the only players to have averaged at least 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game through the first week of the 2023-24 season.
Tari Eason (from Rockets PR)
Eason was the No. 17 overall pick by the Rockets in the 2022 NBA draft. He appeared in all 82 games last season while earning All-Rookie Second team honors.
Eason became the fifth rookie in league history to have recorded at least 450 rebounds, 90 steals, 40 blocks and 50 3-pointers made, joining Carmelo Anthony, Larry Bird, Lamar Odom and Antoine Walker.
Jabari Smith Jr. (from Rockets PR)
Smith was the No. 3 overall pick by Houston in the 2022 NBA draft. He started all 79 of his games played as a 19-year-old last season and joined Eason on the All-Rookie Second Team. Smith is the first player in NBA history to have reached his totals of points, rebounds, blocks and 3-pointers made through the first 82 games played of a career.
OFFICIAL: The #Rockets today announced they have exercised their fourth-year options for guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in addition to the third-year options for forwards Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. pic.twitter.com/xcS0X3Awof
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 30, 2023
