Kofi Inkoom
OCT 30 : The Houston Rockets have officially confirmed their decision to activate the options for all four players, as announced on the team’s X (formerly twitter) account.
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OCT 27 : While the formal announcements are slated for the end of this month, the Rockets have a plan to exercise their 2024/25 team options on Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason, as per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription based).
This news doesn’t come as a surprise, given that all four players are considered integral to the Rockets.
It’s important to note that these decisions won’t have an impact on the players this season but will secure their contracts for the ’24/25 season.
Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, is set to earn $12,483,048 in the ’24/25 season.
Alperen Sengun, who was the No. 16 pick in the same draft, will receive a salary of $5,424,654 in the final year of his rookie contract. Both players will become eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024.
Jabari Smith, chosen as the No. 2 pick in the draft the previous year, will have a salary of $9,770,880 in his third season in ’24/25, while Tari Eason, picked at No. 17 in the 2022 draft, will earn $3,695,160.
MORE : Tari Eason Aims to Become The League’s Best Defensive Player
Next October, the Rockets will need to decide whether to exercise Smith and Eason’s fourth-year options, though this also appears to be a mere formality.
Jalen Green, a 6’4″ guard, showcased his skills with an average of 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the previous season.
Alperen Sengun, a 6’9″ Turkish center, posted impressive numbers of 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks in ’21/22.
Both Green and Sengun are starters, just like Jabari Smith. Tari Eason plays a crucial role off the bench.
In their 2023-24 season opener against the Orlando Magic, all players except for Eason, who was sidelined due to injury, combined to score 31 points.
Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets fell short to the Magic, with a 20-point margin, resulting in a 116-86 victory for the Magic.