The Houston Rockets have knowledgeable rival entrance workplaces that second-year ahead Amen Thompson is untouchable in potential commerce discussions regardless of the crew’s curiosity in buying a star participant, sources instructed ESPN. Thompson, the No. 4 decide within the 2023 NBA draft, completed fifth in Defensive Participant of the Yr voting this season.
Thompson’s scoring common jumped from 9.5 factors as a rookie to 14.1 factors in his sophomore marketing campaign. His defensive prowess and offensive enchancment have solidified his standing as a cornerstone piece for Houston’s rebuilding efforts. Thompson was ranked seventeenth on Invoice Simmons’ Commerce Worth checklist as not too long ago as late January.
Crew executives internally examine the 6-foot-7 Thompson’s ceiling to Russell Westbrook in his prime, regardless of Thompson’s growing bounce shot. The group has not but absolutely deployed him as a lead ball-handler however stays open to increasing his function.
Thompson demonstrated his clutch potential in January towards the Boston Celtics when Ime Udoka entrusted him with the ultimate possession. Thompson beat Jaylen Brown in isolation to hit the game-winning floater, capping a 33-point efficiency.
Rockets common supervisor Rafael Stone expressed confidence in Thompson’s speedy improvement trajectory.
“He is already grow to be a very good NBA participant,” Stone mentioned. “He needs to be a lot, a lot better than this 12 months subsequent 12 months, and that ought to go on for the foreseeable future. Nice child, works actually exhausting, is admittedly good. All the pieces we have requested him to do, he is carried out. He is carried out it rapidly and at occasions shockingly simply.”
“There is not any query in my thoughts that there are a number of guys on this roster now who can doubtlessly be the perfect participant on a championship crew, given their age,” Patrick Fertitta instructed ESPN late within the common season. “You do not see guys at this age be that individual but, however I’ve numerous confidence that one in every of these guys, if not a couple of of them, can grow to be that.”
