2024 Rookie Extension Watch

[KqWIN]

Yep. Anyone hating on that deal lacks perspective. It helps to give them another 2 years to figure out how this extremely young core fits together and if he's not a part of it then he's very tradable with that type of contract.

I think the issue with it is that if he doesn't improve, he will opt in which does not make it a short term commitment. Don't think he's tradeable until he improves. If he is good, he can opt out and he will either walk or they have to pay him significantly more. In the event that he does play his way into tradeable value, it will be less value because of a shorter contract. Player option makes it somewhat of a lose-lose scenario.

 

[sip]

I think the issue with it is that if he doesn't improve, he will opt in which does not make it a short term commitment. Don't think he's tradeable until he improves. If he is good, he can opt out and he will either walk or they have to pay him significantly more. In the event that he does play his way into tradeable value, it will be less value because of a shorter contract. Player option makes it somewhat of a lose-lose scenario.

I don't agree. This allows the rockets to kick the can down the road a few more years which brings stability to the decision making over the next few years. If he improves and builds more consistency over these next 3-4 years then the rockets will gladly pay him a massive extension. If he stays around the level we saw from him post all star break last year then that's a solid contract number.

 

[KqWIN]

I don't agree. This allows the rockets to kick the can down the road a few more years which brings stability to the decision making over the next few years. If he improves and builds more consistency over these next 3-4 years then the rockets will gladly pay him a massive extension. If he stays around the level we saw from him post all star break last year then that's a solid contract number.

If he gets better, it’s only a two year extension. Having a star player with a two year extension isn’t bad necessarily, but it’s also not having a star locked down into a longer deal. You risk losing him and lessen his trade value if you wanted to go that route. Best case scenario is that you pay significantly more for him. Not a disaster, but also not ideal.

If he doesn’t get better, you now have a bad player on a 3 year extension. The only way that turns into a year extension is if he is bad.

IMO, it would have been better to let him go to RFA. The worst case scenario is that he signs an offer sheet for max money under the same structure (2+PO). It’s not significantly more money than they gave him. But at that point you have the option to give him whatever contract he has earned. Doing nothing would have been the superior “kick the can down the road” option.