Rockets ink Alperen Şengün to lengthy $185 million extension
The Rockets and center Alperen Şengün agreed to terms on a five-year, $185 million rookie extension, ESPN reported on Monday.
The move came prior to the rookie extension deadline at 6 p.m. ET and includes a player option for the final year.
The two sides had been negotiating since the start of the summer on the structure and value of a new deal before finally coming to an agreement on Monday, The Athletic reported.
The new contract makes Şengün the first player to sign a five-year rookie extension that includes a player option since Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Şengün had been coming off a season in 2023-24 where he averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while making a strong case to be an All-Star selection and leading Houston in both scoring and rebounding.
He had been one of only six NBA players to average the stat line that he did, joining the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle and Doncic.
“What we saw with Alpi — it’s obviously gotten better as he’s gotten older, more experienced and skilled — is his ability to beat his guy 1-on-1 to get to a layup or dunk,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone told The Athletic in March. “[That] was evident in video from the Turkish league and from the very first practice we had him. That’s just a real strength, and he has moves upon moves upon moves, and it comes very naturally to him.”
Şengün also finished third in voting for Most Improved Player while having his season come to an end early due to an ankle injury that cost him the last 18 games on the Rockets schedule.
Several Rockets coaches worked with Şengün during the summer in Turkey in order to get him ready for the 2024-25 campaign.
Şengün had originally been drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder 16th overall in 2021 and was then traded to the Rockets for two future first-round draft picks.
Before he made the jump to the NBA, Şengün played three seasons in the Turkish Basketball Super League from 2018-2021.
