The Houston Rockets have made a massive decision on the futures of two recent top-four lottery picks.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports that Houston has opted to pick up its third- and fourth-year team options on point guard Reed Sheppard and All-Defensive wing Amen Thompson for the 2026-27 season.
Thompson - the No. 4 pick in 2023 after skipping college in favor of going pro with Team Overtime Elite - will earn $12.26 million that season, while Sheppard - the No. 4 pick out of Kentucky in 2024 - will net $11.1 million.
The two players have enjoyed very different trajectories thus far.
Thompson is looking like a two-way All-Star in the making, while Sheppard - pressed into service after Fred VanVleet’s possibly season-ending ACL tear suffered in September - has been so spotty on defense that head coach Ime Udoka has been reticent to play him much. Clearly, though, Houston is confident enough in both young pieces to keep them under team control for another year.
This story will be updated…
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