The Houston Rockets just added some major star power in the offseason, but they might already have some star power waiting to break out.
This offseason hasn’t been quite as wild as some were expecting coming into the summer, but it has still certainly been an exciting period in Houston. After the Rockets were bounced by the Golden State Warriors in the second round, they wasted no time making what might go down as the biggest move of the entire offseason.
Just hours before the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers tipped off Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Rockets agreed to a deal to bring Kevin Durant to Houston. While that deal paired Durant with All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, the future of the franchise could easily be in the hands of a player who still hasn’t even made an All-Star Game.
Amen Thompson’s time to shine?
In a recent Bleacher Report article, Grant Hughes predicted who every team’s best player would be in three years. Despite the Rockets having an all-time great in Durant and a star center in Sengun, Hughes picked Amen Thompson to be the Rockets’ franchise player by 2028.
As Hughes noted, Thompson might not be on their level quite yet, but his potential is the highest of any player in Houston’s young core. Along with his expected offense development, Thompson is already one of the top defenders in the league.
With his incredible athleticism to add to the puzzle, it’s easy to see why Hughes and many others are so high on Thompson and expect him to be leading the Rockets before long.