Houston Rockets unlikely to sign Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun to max extensions

The time will soon come for the Houston Rockets to extend the contracts of Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, both selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft. These two young players are key pieces of the team’s rebuild after the disappearance of James Harden.

With the NBA calendar year still underway, both young talents are able to negotiate contract extensions with the team, although it’s unlikely that either will receive maximum rookie contract extensions.

Players like Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes have already secured long-term contract extensions. Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports that Green and Segun are unlikely to receive rookie max extensions, which could shake things up in Houston moving forward.

“At this point, it’s unlikely that Şengün or Green will receive maximum rookie extensions — both are eligible for five-year contracts worth up to $224.2 million, according toThe Athletic“Houston has had conversations with both sides regarding an extension and will continue the dialogue during the offseason, but the chances of either player signing a deal in the realm of Cade Cunningham ($236 million) or Scottie Barnes (potentially up to $270 million) are slim.”

Clearly, breaking up the young core seems inevitable as the Rockets continue to be impatient and look for different avenues to build a contender as quickly as possible. Moving away from one of the two paths will likely be the way forward for Houston to acquire star talent quickly.

“It’s more likely that the Rockets will revisit this issue next year unless there is a deal that benefits both parties,” Iko continued.

It makes more sense to figure out a future contract after another season ends. How they fit together will be important in determining the best path forward as the Rockets continue to seek a common identity.

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