The franchise names for Houston have finally been carved in stone. Bobby Marks has reported that the Houston Rockets have finally signed their 22-year-old Turkish rising star to a $185 Million, five-year deal. This Alperen Sengun contract extension comes just hours after Jalen Green also finalized his new deal. It seems the Houston Rockets have finally committed to this duo for their long-term future goals.
Rockets Agree to a $185 Million Contract Extension With Alperen Sengun
Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green have finally inked their long-term deals in Houston. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, this five-year deal also includes a player option in the last year. Even for Jalen Green, the final year of the deal includes a player option. This gives room to both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green to increase their earnings in the last year. Hopefully, this gives them the sense of trust and faith that they need from the franchise to take the final leap in their careers at Houston.
Houston center Alperen Sengun has agreed on a five-year, $185 million rookie extension, his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball, tells ESPN. The contract includes a player option in the last year.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 21, 2024
Do Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun Deserve These Massive Deals?
Sengun is coming back from an injury he suffered at the end of last season. Despite that injury, Sengun had the best basketball year of his career (so far). He nearly became an All-Star, went face-to-face in the clutch moments with the best in the league, and proved his value in Houston. His importance to the team became evident after seeing his prowess in playmaking, scoring in the post, and footwork that reminded Houston fans of Hakeem Olajuwon. However, NBA fans also commonly compared him to Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP. He averaged a near-double-double throughout the season, with 21.1 points, 9.3 rebs, and 5 assists per game over 63 games. While Sengun is unlikely to become a three-time MVP like Jokic he is the same style of player. Sengun has also drawn comparisons to Domantas Sabonis for his rebound and playmaking abilities.
Jalen Green, who signed a three-year $106 Million extension, is also coming off a stellar year. While he had his best stretch of the season during Alperen’s absence, Jalen may not have performed as consistently as expected. However, some of those issues may be attributed to fitting into a whole new coaching system as well as chemistry with teammates.
Nevertheless, these extensions are a step towards changing the narrative that Alperen and Jalen may not work well together. This duo is devoted to Houston and finding success under Ime Udoka‘s guidance.
