Rockets secured a stunning bargain with Amen Thompson deal

As expected, the Houston Rockets have come to terms with Amen Thompson on a lucrative contract extension. But the most impressive part about this new deal is the fact that the franchise will get to savor their young star for the foreseeable future without having to pay the usual premium which other players of his caliber demand nowadays.

Thompson and the Rockets have agreed to a five-year, $208 million extension that will keep him in Houston until at least 2032. His deal also includes a 10% trade kicker. He becomes just the second player from his draft class after Victor Wembanyama to secure a rookie-scale contract extension.

Rockets got a bargain with Amen Thompson deal

Most striking, however, is the fact that the Rockets did not have to tender to Thompson the maximum offer that they could have extended to him. Both camps agreed on a deal slightly less than the max, which is pretty ideal given the circumstances surrounding the franchise.

There is no doubt that Houston's brain trust holds Thompson in high regard. One could even argue that the team is higher on him than All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, who seems to have already peaked. On the flip side, the 23-year-old is coming off an impressive campaign in Year 3 where he turned in nightly averages of 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Part and parcel behind the Rockets offering Thompson less than the max is probably the fact that his offensive skill set remains a work in progress. He is close to being negligible from the perimeter, and his decision-making remains erratic, limiting his ceiling as a potential full-on playmaker.

Still, that does not change the fact that this is a huge bargain for the Rockets. Other teams with bright, but flawed young players (like the Pistons with Jalen Duren, for example) are dealing with burdensome drama of their own, but Houston managed to avoid that altogether.