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The Houston Rockets are not currently considering offering max extensions to guard Jalen Green or center Alperen Şengün, Shams Charania said Friday on ESPN’s NBA Today.
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“There’s not a max contract on the table right now.” 👀 @ShamsCharania on the Rockets’ contract negotiations with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun ✍️ pic.twitter.com/gJlxO1NpqP
Both Green and Şengün are currently slated to become restricted free agents after the 2024-25 season.
Charania said that Green and Şengün have both received offers from the Rockets, but that the Houston stars may need to test free agency in order to try for a max deal.
The deadline to decide on an extension is Monday. The Rockets kick off the regular season two days later against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
Green is currently set to play the 2024-25 season on a $12.5 million club option, while Şengün is on a $5.4 million club option for the campaign.
Both are eligible for a five-year rookie extensions worth a maximum of around $225 million. Should either of them sign for that amount, they would be the first player to ink a rookie max extension since the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo in 2020, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Şengün, who averaged a career-high 21.2 points and 9.3 assists last season on his way to a third-place finish in Most Improved Player voting, has told reporters multiple times this offseason that he is interested in signing an extension with the team.
“We’ve been talking. I want to get the contract, and they’re trying to negotiate with us, we’re trying to negotiate with them,” Şengün told reporters in late September. “It’s been good. We’re going to make it work. We still have time, and hopefully we make it work.”
Meanwhile Green, who recorded a career-high 5.2 rebounds per contest and saw a late-season offensive surge 2023-24, told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he “for sure” wanted an extension but was focused on the season ahead instead of his next deal.
“My main focus is the season ahead of me with the players that we have, go to the playoffs and go as far as we can,” Green told Feigen. “We’re building that team camaraderie, who we are. That’s the main focus right now, and everything will work itself out.”
Like the Philadelphia 76ers, who waited to extend Tyrese Maxey this offseason in part to take advantage of his free agent hold, the Rockets could enter 2025 free agency with more cap space should they hold off on the Green and Şengün deals until next summer, as noted by Marks.
Even if neither young star re-signs before Monday, the Rockets could still be planning to build their future team around Green and Şengün, although their next deals may have to wait until they hit restricted free agency next year.
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