OCTOBER 30: The Rockets have officially exercised their options on all four players, the team tweets.
OCTOBER 12: While the decisions won’t be formally announced until the end of the month, the Rockets plan to exercise their 2024/25 team options on Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith and Tari Eason, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
The news was expected, as all four players are considered core pieces for the Rockets. The decisions don’t impact any of the players this season, but will guarantee their contracts for ’24/25.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Green will earn $12,483,048 in 2024/25. Sengun, who was the No. 16 pick of the same draft, will have a $5,424,654 salary in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. Both players will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024.
Smith was the No. 2 pick of last year’s draft. He will earn $9,770,880 in ’24/25, his third season, while Eason, the No. 17 pick in 2022, will make $3,695,160. Next October, the Rockets will have to decide whether or not to pick up Smith and Eason’s fourth-year options, though that also seems like a formality.
A 6’4″ guard, Green averaged 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.7 APG on .416/.338/.786 shooting last season. Sengun, a 6’9″ Turkish center, averaged 14.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .553/.333/.715 shooting in ’21/22. Both players are starters, as is Smith. Eason is one of Houston’s main bench players.
Smith, a 6’10” forward, averaged 12.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .408/.307/.786 shooting as rookie in ’21/22. Eason, another forward, averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .448/.343/.752 shooting last season.
The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.
Rumors Sengun 6”11 now
Prove it and my opinion of him will change. Last time I checked he was a 6’9 PF playing the C position
He’s taller than Smith … just watch them.
He says he’s 6’ 11 in socks….
I think right now I’m 6-11 without shoes,” Sengun said. “When I came to the NBA [in 2021] I was 6-foot-9, but after one year [2020] they said the same thing, that I’d grown. So, they measured me again and I was 6-foot-10. Now I’m like 6-foot-11.”
I appreciate it and my opinion has changed of him
I am taking your word KnickerbockerAl
Sengin gonna be an All Star this year or next year. Clown Celtics traded him for Horford, haha, what a joke
I’m not sold on any of these young Rockets. Seems like a bunch of role players. Not stars who can win a title
Smith Jr is nice. I think he is the best young PF out there
Jalen Green should be playing PG at 6’3. Amen Thompson at SG. Eason should be playing SF. Whitemore being the 6th man SF. Smith jr at PF and Sengun ( savagedp said above Sengun is 6’11, I hope) at center. That is a good young core. Udoka wants to win though. This will be unpopular but maybe have all those above to come off the bench. Start PG. VanVleet SG. Bullock SF. Brooks PF. Green C. Landale. Waive Kevin Porter Jr
I like Eason ….. wouldn’t mind seeing him on Knicks. Grimes is from Houston ….
well — well …..,