NBA rumors: Rockets playing hardball with Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green
Yesterday at 02:32 PM
The Houston Rockets have a large group of young players who have yet to sign extensions, and at least two of them could remain without a new deal for a while.
Although both have shown flashes of high-level play, center Alperen Sengun and guard Jalen Green reportedly may not receive suitable contract offers before the 2024-25 NBA season begins this week.
“Houston has not been willing to approach a maximum contract for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, sources said,” NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on Threads. “Both young Rockets phenoms' representations have stated each player is deserving of top dollar that, so far, Houston has yet to offer. The Rockets are open to extending both players, but also content with extending neither before the year begins, sources said.”
Will Rockets offer max contracts to Alperen Sengun or Jalen Green?
Both Green and Sengun were drafted by Houston in 2021; Green was taken second overall, while Sengun came off of the board with the 16th pick. Although Green was naturally projected to be the better player as the higher draft pick, Sengun has since blossomed into a dependable offensive force. In his third season, the Turkish big man averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals (all career-high marks) and finished third in Most Improved Player voting.
In general, Green’s offense had never been much of an issue — he averaged 22.1 points and shot 34% from three in his second year — but the young guard’s defense lagged through his first two seasons in the league. This past season, his first under head coach Ime Udoka, he took a major leap on the defensive end, which helped the Rockets make a 19-win year-over-year improvement.
There are still questions about Green, though, especially in regard to whether he can improve his efficiency. As for Sengun, his shooting and defense remain points of concern despite his high-level offensive skillset. Additionally, Houston managed to win nine straight games when Sengun went down with an injury last year, leading some in the media to question how valuable he truly is to the team’s success. That may not be much of a question, though, considering the Rockets also lost six of their last nine games without Sengun and missed out on a spot in the Play-In.
Nonetheless, it would seem unwise for the Rockets to let one or both of Green and Sengun enter the year without signing new deals. They are each entering the last season under contract — Sengun will earn $5.4 million, while Green gets $12.5 million — and are set to become restricted free agents next summer.
A five-year max contract for Sengun or Green is expected to be valued at about $224 million, and that figure could rise to about $270 million if they earn an All-NBA selection or win Defensive Player of the Year or Most Valuable Player.
Players in the 2021 draft class that have already signed max extensions include the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner, and the No. 1 overall pick in that draft, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham.
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