Houston Rockets Exercise Team Options On Several Core Pieces

Last week, the Houston Chronicle reported that the Houston Rockets would be exercising 2024-2025 team options on Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason. The team has until October 31, 2023 to exercise the options. In the case of Green and Sengun, it is a fourth-year option. In the case of Smith and Eason, it is the third year option.

Green will earn $12.48 million; Sengun will earn $5.42 million; Smith will earn $9.77 million; and Eason will earn $3.7 million. The rookie salary scale applicable to a first round pick is determined by the first season to be covered by the player’s rookie scale contract.

Under Article VIII of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, each rookie scale contract between a team and a first round pick covers a period of two seasons but has a team option in each of the third and fourth seasons.

Further, a first round pick who enters into a rookie scale contract may enter into an extension of such rookie scale contract during the period from 12:01 p.m. eastern time on the last day of the Moratorium Period through 6:00 p.m. eastern time on the day prior to the first day of the regular season of the second option year provided for in such contract. Thus, Green and Sengun, both entering their third seasons and their first option years, will both be extension eligible beginning in 2024-2025. Smith and Eason will be extension eligible in 2025-2026.

The aforementioned quartet, along with rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, make up what observers have come to refer to as the team’s “Core 6” or, the foundation of its youth movement. Rockets management has invested heavily in the group, using top four lottery picks on Green (2), Smith (3), and Thompson (4). Sengun, Eason, and Whitmore were all selected mid to late first round. The team has pinned all of its hopes on this group and would obviously desire to extend each of them past their rookie contract, to the extent that is financially feasible. Such feasibility remains to be seen in light of more punitive changes in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement geared towards effectuating greater league-wide parity. While the changes were intended to prevent the formation of so-called “superteams”, one can see how they would also create difficulty in retaining homegrown talent.

But that problem is years away. For now, the Rockets hope their core players continue showing growth and improvement under the leadership of new head coach Ime Udoka. While this news was an inevitability, it’s a reminder that the clock is ticking with the first of Houston’s premiere prospects now entering their third seasons. It’s time for results.