Latest news with #AmenThompson
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Rockets join group of teams in launching ‘Texas Sport for Healing Fund'
In response to the devastating flooding in Central Texas, 41 local and national professional sports organizations have joined efforts to launch the 'Texas Sport for Healing Fund.' In response to devastating floods earlier this month in Central Texas, 41 local and national professional sports organizations have joined efforts to launch the 'Texas Sport for Healing Fund.' Starting Friday, July 25, fans can support relief efforts through a national online auction featuring over 150 pieces of rare sports memorabilia from more than 80 sports teams and players. That auction includes several items from the Houston Rockets, including autographed jerseys by Amen Thompson and All-Star center Alperen Sengun; an autographed basketball from Fred VanVleet; a club seat ticket package for a game in the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season; and signed photos or prints from Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., former All-Star center Yao Ming, and former coach Rudy Tomjanovich. Both Yao and Tomjanovich are currently in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Tomjanovich is a two-time NBA champion. This fund will support both immediate relief efforts and long-term recovery for the communities directly impacted by the flooding. The auction will close on Friday, August 8, and all auction proceeds will support the Texas Sport for Healing Fund. The organizations include representatives from multiple professional sports leagues in Texas, and the complete list can be viewed here. These organizations have come together to provide the initial funding. Further funding details are available from the joint announcement: This investment will better the lives of those affected by the flooding by providing long-term improvements such as access to mental health resources, community programming and the creation of safe places where young people can come together and heal from tragedy. Collectively, these teams have already contributed over $6.3 million to flood relief efforts to date, with funds going to support various organizations including the Texas Sport for Healing Fund. Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) is managing the fund in conjunction with San Antonio Area Foundation (SAF). A panel of representatives from the founding teams will work collaboratively with SAF, alongside Central Texas community partners and local organizations on the ground, to routinely evaluate and identify additional recipients as needs evolve. Fans who would like to join the Texas and national sports community by contributing to the fund are invited to donate here. Community members can take part in the multi-franchise auction to drive visibility and support to the cause, featuring sports memorabilia and merchandise donated by over 80 teams. Teams from across the country, spanning a wide range of professional leagues, have donated over 150 items to the auction such as game tickets, autographed sports equipment, jerseys, and game balls. More items will be added in the coming days, according to fund leaders, as a show of the national sports industry's solidarity and support for the Texas community. All auction proceeds will go directly to the Texas Sport for Healing Fund. More: Rockets join NBA entities in donating over $2 million to Texas flood relief efforts
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
‘Attack of the Clones': Amen, Ausar Thompson land SLAM Magazine cover
For SLAM's July 2025 issue, with an 'Attack of the Clones' tag, Amen Thompson and his twin brother — Detroit's Ausar Thompson — are the cover story. The Rockets were one of the NBA's feel-good stories during the 2024-25 campaign. Two years after finishing in last place in the Western Conference, Houston went 52-30 and finished at No. 2 in the West last season. That type of successful rebuilding project earned the Rockets a cover spot on SLAM Magazine for the February/March 2025 print issue. Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks were featured. One player who wasn't prominently displayed was rising star Amen Thompson, who was arguably Houston's most valuable player last season. But that might have been due to a different theme being in the works. This July, with an 'Attack of the Clones' headline, Thompson and his twin brother — Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons — are on the SLAM cover. Each was selected among the top-five picks in the 2023 NBA draft, which makes 2025-26 a potential breakout year as each enters his third professional season. Each is already an elite defensive player. For Houston's twin, given the recent arrival of All-Star forward Kevin Durant, he's likely to be in the national and global spotlight once the new season begins in October. So, in that sense, it's only fitting that he draws a cover story in SLAM's first issue since the blockbuster trade became official. SLAM's complete feature on the Thompson twins can be read here. Topics include their childhood upbringing, tales of elite work ethic, and their unique relationship with each other. More: Amen Thompson shares elite work ethic with new Rockets star Kevin Durant
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rockets vs. Timberwolves, July 19: NBA summer league lineups, rosters, broadcast info
Still in search of their first win, the Houston Rockets will wrap up a five-game schedule at the NBA's 2025 summer league when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon. Both teams will be playing their final summer-league game in the league's ongoing showcase at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion. With a win-now roster centered around star players such as Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun, the Rockets were always light on proven NBA talent for their summer-league roster — and that became even more pronounced when second-year guard Reed Sheppard was shut down after two games with a minor calf injury. Meanwhile, Minnesota's roster features more quality players with NBA pedigree such as Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., Leonard Miller, Jaylen Clark, and Tristen Newton. With those types of prospects in featured roles, the Timberwolves are a perfect 4-0 in Las Vegas. For Saturday, here's our look at broadcast details and potential lineups. The Rockets did not have a first-round selection in the recent 2025 NBA draft, whereas Minnesota's squad also features Joan Beringer, the No. 17 overall selection. When and How to Watch Date: Saturday, July 19 Time: 4:30 p.m. CDT TV Channel: NBA TV, Space City Home Network Live Stream: fuboTV (free trial) or via NBA League Pass Potential Starting Lineups Houston Rockets (0-4) Guard: Kennedy Chandler Guard: Adonis Arms Forward: Kevon Harris Forward: Cameron Matthews Center: Great Osobor Minnesota Timberwolves (4-0) Guard: Rob Dillingham Guard: Amari Bailey Forward: Jaylen Clark Forward: Leonard Miller Center: Joan Beringer Injury/Status Reports The NBA does not require official injury reports to be issued before summer league games, but Sheppard and two-way center N'Faly Dante (ankle sprain) are both expected to be out for the Rockets. For Minnesota, Shannon didn't play in the fourth game. Rockets, Timberwolves Complete Rosters 2025 NBA summer league rosters and statistics for all teams Summer League Coaches Rockets: Garrett Jackson (normally an assistant to Ime Udoka) Timberwolves: Kevin Hanson (normally an assistant to Chris Finch) Rockets' 2025 Summer League Schedule, Results Friday, July 11: Clippers 95, Rockets 92 Sunday, July 13: Pistons 98, Rockets 83 Monday, July 14: Hawks 111, Rockets 108 (overtime) Thursday, July 17: Trail Blazers 102, Rockets 83 Saturday, July 19: Timberwolves vs. Rockets, 4:30 p.m. Central tipoff, NBA TV More: After two games, Rockets shutting down Reed Sheppard at 2025 NBA summer league This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets vs. Wolves, July 19: Summer-league lineups, broadcast details
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The next trade Rockets must make after acquiring Kevin Durant from Suns
The post The next trade Rockets must make after acquiring Kevin Durant from Suns appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2024-25 season for the Houston Rockets cannot be considered as anything other than a success, even if they did fall short in the playoffs yet again to their archrival Golden State Warriors. They finally saw their rebuild begin to bear fruit in the form of a 52-win season, and these Rockets aren't going anywhere, what with their young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr., just to name a few, still in their early 20s. Advertisement Thus, the Rockets, looking to capitalize on their title-contending window that was pried wide-open this past season, decided to trade away Jalen Green, the former second overall pick, as the centerpiece of the trade that brought Kevin Durant to Clutch City. And it's not like the Rockets had to give up their best assets, as they needed to just add Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft (Khaman Maluach), and five second-round picks to get the deal done. And following the Rockets' slew of moves in free agency (signing Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela for more depth) as well as their decision to commit to Smith for the long-term (he signed a five-year, $125 million rookie extension), it looks like they're done filling the roster. They have depth across multiple positions anyway. But should the Rockets decide that another trade is in the cards for them, they definitely have the assets to pull off a blockbuster for the next available superstar in the trade market. However, Houston should be very selective, as they should only break up their core for the superstar that will unquestionably make them a championship contender. Rockets' next blockbuster trade should be for Giannis Antetokounmpo Troy Taormina-Imagn Images This is not to say that the Rockets have to make a move now. In fact, their roster for the 2025-26 campaign appears to be set already even though it's this early in the free agency period. They should be entering next season with a ton of confidence in their squad, as adding Durant should already solve a lot of the halfcourt scoring problems that they had last season. Advertisement But if the Rockets end up falling short yet again, it might be time to revisit the idea of going all-in and trading whatever is necessary to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo to Houston. The Milwaukee Bucks front office deserves some credit for trying to remain competitive by building around Antetokounmpo with what little resources they have. They even made the ballsy play of waiving Damian Lillard to make room for the signing of Myles Turner. But Turner is hardly a needle-mover, instead profiling as a high-level complementary piece to an already-stacked team. The Bucks, quite frankly, aren't stacked and aren't even close to having a championship-contending roster. This could perhaps lead to an eventual trade request from Antetokounmpo, who will be in the final year of his deal during the 2026-27 campaign. And by then, should the Rockets end up running into a buzzsaw in the playoffs yet again, maybe Antetokounmpo sees the nascent team as an appealing trade destination. The Durant trade did not strip the Rockets of their best trade assets, which will help them gear up for a potential push for Antetokounmpo should the Bucks' worst nightmare come true. Advertisement What should Houston offer? The Bucks, most likely, are going to ask for Thompson as the starting point in any potential Antetokounmpo trade with the Rockets. But by then, if Antetokounmpo requests a trade, Milwaukee won't have much leverage, especially when Giannis is in the final year of his deal and can simply walk for nothing in free agency in 2027. One popular suggestion from pundits is for the Rockets to utilize Alperen Sengun as the primary trade chip they can dangle in exchange for Antetokounmpo. Houston also has young pieces such as Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason to dangle. Sengun is an iffy at best fit alongside Antetokounmpo anyway, and even at 32 years of age, Giannis should be a major upgrade on both ends of the floor over the Turkish big man. The Rockets should be confident to trade Sengun in an Antetokounmpo scenario, as they can elevate Smith into the starting lineup and have them be their starting center. Advertisement While he's not a bruising presence on the interior and is not the best on the glass, he has the floor-spacing and shot-blocking ability to thrive alongside Antetokounmpo. Houston should still have Steven Adams anyway to cover for whatever weaknesses they might have on the boards, while Thompson, who should be off-limits for the Bucks, is also a menace on the glass. The Rockets still have a 2027 first-round pick from the Suns, a 2027 first-round pick swap with the Brooklyn Nets, and they will receive two of the most favorable among the Suns', Dallas Mavericks, and their pick in 2029. In the end this should be the offer the Rockets put on the table for Antetokounmpo next offseason: Rockets trade: Alperen Sengun, Clint Capela, Cam Whitmore, Reed Sheppard, 2027 PHX first-round pick, 2028 HOU first-round pick, 2029 PHX first-round pick, 2030 HOU first-round pick, 2032 HOU first-round pick Related: The signing Houston Rockets should have made instead of Clint Capela Related: Rockets sign G League Next Up MVP to contract
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Amen Thompson's Breakout Paved The Way For Rockets' Kevin Durant Trade
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 02: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives against Amen Thompson #1 of ... More the Houston Rockets during the game at Footprint Center on March 02, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockets defeated the Suns 118-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Houston Rockets were a ball of clay. After three straight years with 22 or fewer wins, the Rockets went 41-41 in 2023-24 and were in the mix for a spot in the play-in tournament until they went on a five-game losing streak in the final two weeks of the regular season. A career season from third-year center Alperen Şengün hinted at better days ahead for the Rockets, especially after they landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. They used that pick on Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, pairing him with their trio of recent top-five picks—guard Jalen Green (No. 2 in 2021), forward Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3 in 2022) and wing Amen Thompson (No. 4 in 2023). However, it was unclear heading into this past season whether any of them were franchise-cornerstone material. Green was a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer over his first three seasons, while Smith didn't take a major leap between his rookie and sophomore campaigns. Although Thompson didn't get a ton of run as a rookie, Smith's midseason injury this past year opened the door for him to move into the starting lineup. Once he did, he would not relinquish that spot for the remainder of the season. He wound up averaging 15.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 37 games as a starter from January onward, and he carried that right over into the Rockets' seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs. With Thompson flashing Defensive Player of the Year upside along with well-rounded offensive contributions, the Rockets suddenly had their potential franchise cornerstone. His breakout paved the path for their blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant on Sunday. The Rockets agreed to trade Green, veteran forward Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft and five second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for Durant, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Although Green has been one of Houston's two leading scorers in each of his four NBA seasons, Thompson's two-way upside made him expendable, particularly for a player of Durant's caliber. The Missing Piece? The Rockets were fueled by the league's fifth-ranked defense this season, but their offense sputtered at times, particularly in half-court settings. They averaged only 93.2 points per 100 possessions in the half court during the regular season, which ranked 22nd leaguewide, and they were 11th out of 16 playoff teams with 92.4 points per 100 half-court possessions in the postseason. That put them ahead of only the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. Charania noted that the Rockets finished 27th in effective field-goal percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers and 24th in effective field-goal percentage on all jumpers, while Durant led the NBA this season by drilling 50.9% of his off-the-dribble jumpers. In other words, the Rockets could not have found a better fit on paper to fill the offensive hole that ultimately upended them. Granted, it still might have taken some convincing for an up-and-coming team like the Rockets to give up assets for the soon-to-be 37-year-old Durant. He's showing no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by the 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 three-pointers per game that he averaged this past season, but he's also in no way aligned with the developmental timeline of Thompson, Şengün and the Rockets' other young prospects. "For months on end, the message from the Houston Rockets was consistent," Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic wrote after news of the trade broke Sunday. "They had no plans to get into the Kevin Durant business." So, what caused them to change their minds? The Achilles injuries that Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard suffered during the playoffs might have compelled the Rockets to make more of a win-now push. "With Durant leading the way, veteran guard Fred VanVleet expected to return and rising stars Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson on board, the Rockets decided their time is now," Amick and Iko added. Mere hours after news of the Durant trade broke, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton then suffered his own Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. While Haliburton's injury didn't factor into the Rockets' thinking before they pulled the trigger on this deal, it likely removes yet another title hopeful from the mix next season. The Rockets' Time Is Now With Thompson on his rookie-scale contract for two more years, the Rockets have a clear window to take advantage of right now. He's set to earn only $9.7 million this coming season and $12.3 million in 2026-27. If the salary cap continues to increase by 10% every year as expected, he'll be eligible for a five-year, $271.3 million extension that would begin with a $46.8 million salary in the 2027-28 season. If if he makes an All-NBA team or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in 2026-27, his extension could start at $56.1 million and get bumped up to $325.6 million in total. The Rockets' next two years with Thompson could be akin to when NFL teams build around young quarterbacks on rookie-scale deals. The financial savings they gain from paying those players well-below-market prices allows them to splurge on veterans, even if they aren't aligned from a timeline perspective. Amick and Iko reported that Durant "may not sign an extension when he's eligible in July," but "team sources said there is a strong belief that this will be a long-term partnership." Still, Father Time remains undefeated, so "long-term" may only be three or four years at most. However, the league's current collective bargaining agreement may force teams into trying to capitalize on shorter windows rather than extended dynastic runs. Şengün's five-year, $185 million extension and Green's three-year, $105.3 million extension both begin this coming season. Smith and Tari Eason will both become extension-eligible this summer and would have their new deals start in 2026-27, while Thompson will follow suit the following offseason. The Rockets won't be able to pay all of their young players, particularly depending on what they do with VanVleet, whom they have a $44.9 million team option on for the 2025-26 campaign. They figure to decline that option and re-sign him to a multi-year deal with a smaller salary, although it's unclear how low they can get him to drop. Perhaps the acquisition of Durant convinces VanVleet to take a significant pay cut so the Rockets can afford to retain Smith, Eason and Thompson moving forward. Realistically, though, they figure to start shedding depth in the coming years. The next season or two may be their best shot to win a championship with this core. If not for Thompson's breakout this past season, the Rockets might not have been emboldened to cut bait on Green and accelerate their win-now window. But given the flashes he showed during his sophomore campaign and the Achilles injuries that ravaged the Eastern Conference throughout the playoffs this year, it suddenly made more sense for the Rockets to gamble on a star forward who's in no way aligned with the rest of their roster age-wise. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
