Short Term Deal Could be the Answer for Amen Thompson and Rockets

Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets have a bit of a conundrum on their hands. Thompson is eligible for a new deal this summer and he’s eligible for a deal worth $251 million in total, which would comprise 25 percent of the overall salary cap.

Such a deal would limit the Rockets’ ability to add outside talent, as they’d be hamstrung financially. There’s also a question regarding whether Thompson – a player that doesn’t have any semblance of an outside shot – should fetch such a deal.

Especially if the franchise has visions of him playing the point guard position. Granted, the positional change this season was prompted due to an untimely injury to Fred VanVleet. Thompson’s lack of long-range shooting adds to Houston’s spacing issue, since Alperen Sengun, Houston’s All-Star center, is also a non-threat from the outside.

Last season, Thompson made just 21.6 percent of his outside shots, on 1.5 attempts. Which basically means whenever he takes a 3-pointer, it’s a turnover. It’s certainly a blown possession, at the very least, and plays into the hands of the defensive gameplan for the opposition.

Thompson made just 23.5 percent of his corner threes – a number that is drastically lower than his 37.7 percent from the corner just one season ago. And his handle is a greater concern, considering the role he plays and how often he has the ball in his hands.In fact, one can argue that Thompson’s ballhandling deficit needs the most improvement. Granted, none of these flaws and/or warts take away from Thompson’s value.

He’s a menace on defense, who doesn’t take possessions off or doesn’t shy away from defending the opposing team’s top scoring threat. Regardless of whether he made the All-Defensive team or not, that much is known.

And he’s unstoppable when getting downhill and attacking. He’s easily one of the league’s best athletes and is also an underrated creator.Any team would love to have Amen Thompson. But at what price point? I’ve suggested a five year deal worth $216 million.

But could a shorter term deal be a better move? The Rockets are known to be clever on the contract front. Rafael Stone has a proven history there.

If the Rockets have trepidations about giving Thompson a full five year deal and banking on his development, perhaps it would be wise to give Thompson a three year deal and showing them that he can work on the areas that aren’t his strongest suits, before landing the bigger deal.

It would also allow Thompson to get paid again in a relatively short turnaround. Remember, he is only 23 years old. That’s not a bad gamble.

Jalen Green did it also, signing a three-year deal and allowing him to hit the market again, as a more polished player when the contract expires. It’s an interesting school of thought because it could be a win-win situation for both sides.

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