The Houston Rockets had a bounce-back year in 2023-24 thanks in large part to their 2021 draft class. Now, the Rockets are locking up their core for the immediate future.
The Rockets awarded center Alperen Sengun with a five-year, $185 million rookie extension and signed guard Jalen Green to a three-year extension worth $106 million on Monday, ESPN and The Athletic reported.
Both players’ extensions include a player option in the final year. Per ESPN, Green is the first NBA player to land a 2-plus-1 rookie extension worth at least $100 million.
Green was the second overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft and Sengun went No. 16 overall to Oklahoma City, who traded him to Houston on draft night. They have blossomed into the top players on Houston’s roster.
Sengun, 22, averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals — all career highs — in 63 games (all starts) in 2023-24.
Green, 22, started all 82 games last season and averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He was the second-leading scorer behind Sengun, as the pair helped the Rockets make a late playoff push before being the first team out of the Western Conference postseason picture at 41-41.
In three seasons and 225 career games (all starts), Green has tallied 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Sengun has averaged 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 210 career games (148 starts).
Monday was the deadline for 2021 NBA Draft alumni to sign rookie-scale contract extensions.
–Field Level Media
