The biggest uncertainty about the future of rockets

In the 25-26 season, the most difficult player for the Rockets to position is Amen Thompson.

In the summer of 2026, the Rockets will face three important decisions:

1 Ethan's rookie contract expires and he will become a restricted free agent. Whether the Rockets can keep Ethan and whether they can keep him.

Based on Ethan's performance this season, he only played 1 good ball in the 4 games in the new season. In the other 3 games, his performance was far below the standard. His golf IQ and both offensive and defensive ends were irritable. This situation was especially obvious in the first three years of Ethan's career. In addition, Ethan's attendance was not good enough. If other teams pay high salaries to poach Ethan, do the Rockets need to keep Ethan?

2 VanVleet will face the choice of player contract. In the 25-26 season, what is the probability that VanVleet will be able to play? If he cannot play for the entire season, then VanVleet's execution of this contract will be very critical to the Rockets' offseason operations. If VanVleet breaks out of the contract, will Sheppard be able to assume the responsibility of starting point guard, or will the Rockets re-sign in the free market or trade market.

3 How should the Rockets renew Amen Thompson's contract in advance.

Judging from Amen's performance last season, the Rockets should renew Amen's maximum salary in advance. He will enter the best team in the second year of his career and be integrated on both ends of the offense and defense, giving people unlimited daydreams.

Last season, Amen's biggest weakness and loophole was only space, especially poor shooting and free throws.

This season, when VanVleet was injured and was likely to be reimbursed for the season, Uduka asked Amen to take on the heavy responsibility and let Amen switch to the starting point guard. This effect was not good.

If Amen can master ball handling, organization, connection and shooting, he will definitely become the core of the Rockets' future team building. From the current point of view, Amen is still very far away from these.

If you have the ability to hold the ball, organize and connect, and have the ability to shoot, attract the opponent, and create open opportunities for teammates, it is basically a core ball-holding style of play, and it is basically the cornerstone of the team.

Amen's current form is that he is excellent at running without the ball. He is particularly good at stealing chickens in the ghost position. He also has the ability to break through the offense with the ball. However, he does not have an overall vision and overall view. He can pass the ball well, but his reading and judgment on the court cannot support him to become a transfer point for the organization. He has no shooting ability and can let the opponent shrink to the basket unscrupulously. The offensive limitations are very obvious.

Amen's draft pick is No. 4, which is basically the cornerstone and core of the team. But currently, Amen has basically reached the quality of a top golden supporting role. It depends on whether Amen can go further.

If the cornerstone of the team is renewed, and the price of the golden role player is definitely different.

If you renew the contract in advance and build the cornerstone of the team, then it will definitely be a maximum salary, or a designated maximum salary, probably like the Thunder's Chet and Jaylen Williams. These two people have the highest maximum salary within the rules. If it is a prime supporting role, then it will be like a contract extension like Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets.

However, Amen's switch from striker to defender was very short, and his projection status in the preseason was better than that in the regular season, so the sample size was too small.

In his rookie season, Amen's three-point shooting percentage was only 13%, which improved to 27% last season. He took 10 three-point shots this season, and none of them hit. He didn't make many shots, but he didn't make many shots. However, he was bold in shooting in the preseason, and in the preseason, whether it was mid-range or three-point shooting, his shooting percentage was a full improvement compared to last season. We still need to observe Amen's shooting.

For Amen to switch to point guard, Amen is a point guard in the OTE league. Amen's imagination and intelligence in passing are far better than Osar. In the first two years of Amen's forward play, he had certain authority to break through with the ball, but Amen's handling and control of the ball are not too much, and the overall organization and connection are quite satisfactory.

In order to train Amen, Uduka often asked Amen to take on the important tasks of organization and point guard in the transition period of the substitutes. The Rockets' purpose of diversifying Amen's role is very obvious. Amen's performance was not very amazing, nor was it bad. After all, when Amen and Ethan were on the court at the same time, the Rockets had a fast rhythm, good offensive and defensive transitions, excellent offensive rebounds, and secondary offenses. Such performance often covered up Amen's deficiencies in point guard and organization.

This season, when VanVleet was injured for the season, Amen had to become the starting point guard. Judging from the preseason, Amen's strength and quality in the role of starting point guard are obviously not enough. When Amen is holding the ball, Amen's stealing chicken without the ball and his spirituality in the ghost position are completely unable to show. Also, Amen's offensive rebounds and secondary offense have dropped significantly compared to last season.

From the current point of view, changing Amen from the striker to the point guard will cause Amen's role to change. From playing with the ball to playing without the ball, Amen himself is not used to playing, resulting in a decline in data, and the impression is not as good as last season.

If Amen cannot practice ball-handling, movement control and shooting, then Amen will be an advanced puzzle piece. If Amen can master it, Amen will be the core of the team building, then the amount of Amen's early contract renewal will have a significant impact. VanVleet's injury, the chain reaction of arrival, the most direct is Amen's role and positioning, and at what price the Rockets will renew Amen's contract next summer.

So, Amen will be the core of the team in the future, or will he be the team's golden supporting role?