Houston Rockets Lock In Alperen Sengun to Five-Year Contract

Houston has locked in its star player to a five-year contract.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets finally got its rookie extensions done on Monday, most notably locking in its franchise player, Alperen Sengun, to a five-year, $185 million deal. The contract, which neared the deadline to get a deal done, does include a player option in the final year.

The contract will see Sengun in Houston through the 2029-2030 season.

Drafted at No. 16 in the 2021 NBA Draft, Sengun didn’t immediately take the Rockets’ reigns, but has done so slowly over his three-year career.

Most recently, Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in finishing third in the Most Improved Player voting. The Turkish hooper has done more than cement himself as the likely franchise player for the team moving forward, serving as the pivotal piece in helping the team make a 19-win jump just last season.

The center and the organization had a months-long wait to get the deal done, but did so just one day before the 2024-25 NBA regular season kicks off with a few games on Tuesday.

Sengun was eligible for a five-year, $225 million maximum rookie extension, meaning the Rockets somewhat got him on cost. Many speculated he would eventually earn the maximum. His new yearly salary of around $37 million per season seems steep at first glance, but is lessened with the knowledge of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has somewhat softened the financials of large contracts.

With Sengun not signed on as a max contract, its paves the way for Houston to potentially offer money elsewhere, while still maintaining his talents. It now has a vast majority of its older core locked down.

Just a few hours earlier, it was announced that Jalen Green and Houston agreed to another long-awaited contract extension that will keep the former No. 2 pick with the franchise for three more years, given he picks up his final year player option.

Green, too, was eligible for the five-year max, but got a shorter deal at around the same yearly salary. The two were taken with the team's first two picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, and have both been vital to the team's resurgance in the Western Conference.

The team opens up its 2024-25 regular season with 7 p.m. game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Sengun will start alongside the same five as last season: Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. The most recent No. 3 pick, Reed Sheppard, is the shiniest newbie on the team, along with center Steven Adams, who has yet to make his regular season debut for the Rockets.

The likely releived front office can rest for a time, knowing it's locked in two starters for the foreseeable future. But in-season it will likely need to make even more moves in order to ensure the development of its youngsters, Sengun included.

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