Annual salary of 9.5 million! Average 33 minutes per game, the Rockets cheapest starter, already has superstar appearance

The Rockets have had many talented young players in recent years. Although the team had previously taken the initiative to play badly and tried to compete for the No. 1 pick, it has not been able to do so, and even missed the No. 1 pick super center Victor Vinban Yama that year, but it still gained a lot in the draft market.

Indeed, the Rockets have also had unsuccessful draft cases, such as the selection of Christopher, Toté Washington, and Spanish national player Usman Garuba; however, most of the draft results were eventually transformed into the team's combat effectiveness. Jaylen Green, Alperen Shinkin, Tari Ethan, as well as Amen Thompson and Whitmore in recent years, and even this season's rookie Shepard have become the core combat power of the Rockets. Although these young players have their own shortcomings - Jaylen Green has poor scoring stability, Shin Kyung's ability to fight and defend in the inside line needs to be strengthened, and Amen Thompson's three-point shooting ability is insufficient, they gathered together to form a strong team force. With veterans such as Dillon Brooks, Van Vreett, and Jeff Green, the Rockets won the second place in the Western Conference in the regular season, fully demonstrating the team's true strength.

However, the Rockets still lack truly first-class stars. Although there are many puzzle players, the only player who can be called star-level is probably Alperen Shinkyung. But in fact, there is another player in the team with unlimited potential, and his ceiling may be higher than Shin Kyung, which is 22-year-old starting striker Amen Thompson.

As the No. 4 pick in the 2023 class, Amen Thompson is still in his second year of his rookie contract this season. According to the contract, his annual salary this season is only $9.5 million, but he has firmly occupied the position of the Rockets' main power forward in the regular season. Whenever Van Vreet is out due to injury, Amen Thompson is the first choice replacement for coach Uduka. This season, Amen Thompson's continued progress is one of the Rockets' biggest gains.

This all-round player who claims to be able to play from No. 1 to No. 5, averaged 33 minutes in the playoffs, can contribute 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, plus 0.9 blocks and 1.7 steals, with a shooting percentage of up to 49%. In the regular season, he averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in 32 minutes, and can contribute 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks, making him the most comprehensive player of the Rockets.

Among the starting five Tigers of the Rockets, Amen Thompson has the lowest annual salary next season. If Van Vritte stays in the team next season, his annual salary will exceed US$40 million. Shin Kyung and Jaylen Green will each have an annual salary of more than 30 million next season, Dillon Brooks will have an annual salary of more than 20 million, and Amen Thompson will earn 9.5 million this season with a rookie contract, and his annual salary will only be around 10 million next season.

For the Rockets, Amen Thompson is not only the most comprehensive player in the starting lineup, but also the most cost-effective player. It can be said that the Rockets have been enjoying rookie dividends in recent years, and Amen Thompson, the Rockets' most "cheap" starter next season, has already shown its superstar potential. Many experts and former NBA players gave suggestions, and they agreed that the Rockets' non-sale products were neither Shin Kyung nor Jaylen Green, but the young Amen Thompson. Some even assert that as long as Amen Thompson makes a stable three-point shooting, he is fully capable of becoming one of the league's top superstars. This evaluation is undoubtedly a recognition of Amen Thompson's potential and strength.