PAY DAY!
Houston Rockets double down on youth with blockbuster contract extensions
Oct 22, 2024, 10:24 am
The future is bright in Houston! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun both agreed to contract extensions with the Houston Rockets, a person with knowledge of the details said Monday.
Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, agreed to a three-year, $106 million extension. Sengun, who was chosen 16th in the same draft, agreed to five-year, $185 million extension.
The person confirmed the specifics of the agreements to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deals had not been announced. Both deals were first reported by ESPN.
Both players are entering the final seasons of their rookie contracts. Green's new deal will begin next season and includes a player option for the third year, giving him the flexibility to opt out of the contract before the 2027-28 season to become a free agent.
Sengun's extension also begins next season and includes a player option for the fifth season in 2029-30.
Green played in all 82 games last season and averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists to help the Rockets make a 19-game improvement from the previous season. He has made 545 3-pointers after making a career-high 201 last season.
The 22-year-old Green was drafted at 19 after spending one season with the G League Ignite.
He averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a rookie. Green averaged a career-best 22.1 points in his second NBA season in 2022-23.
Sengun had a breakout year last season when he averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and five assists — all career highs — in 63 games. He missed the last part of the season with a severely sprained ankle.
The Turkish center averaged 14.8 points and nine assists in the 2022-23 season after averaging just 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds as a rookie.
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Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.
Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.
Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.
Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.
Key moment
With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.
Key stat
Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.
Up next
The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.