Bobby Marks of ESPN suggests a new contract for Jalen Green in Houston.

The Houston Rockets have two bright prospects in Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, who will be entering their fourth NBA season, and who can sign contract extensions in the offseason before 2024.

In order to optimize their financial flexibility concerning the NBA’s salary cap, the Rockets might be motivated to hold out until 2025. There is little benefit to signing a contract a year early if Green and Sengun are both looking for maximum salaries because Houston would have matching rights to restricted free agency and reduced cap-hold amounts.

The calculus could change, however, if either player would do a deal below the max. That could incentivize the team to strike a deal early, since it would protect them from scenarios where a strong 2024-25 season pushes that player to a more expensive contract.

Between Green and Sengun, Green could be more likely to offer a slight discount in 2024, since he has yet to consistently play at an All-Star level (which Sengun drew consideration for).

With that in mind, Bobby Marks — formerly an NBA executive, and currently a league insider and salary cap guru for ESPN — recently proposed a five-year, $160-million deal for Green. That comes in below the “max” of a $225-million contract over five years.

Should Green demand the outright max or something close to it, Marks advised waiting until restricted free agency in 2025.

Time will tell as to whether Green and the Rockets are both open to a reduced arrangement. But on paper, there is a plausible rationale that would make sense for both sides. To Green, it would be getting a lifetime’s worth of financial security a year early and minimizing any risks from an injury or subpar performance in 2024-25.

To the Rockets, the upside would be a potentially lower annual salary, relative to a scenario where Green waits until 2025 and plays at a maximum-salary level in the preceding 2024-25 campaign.

Stay tuned!

Over the final 40 games of 2023-24, Green led Houston in scoring with averages of 22.3 points (44.4% FG, 34.2% on 3-pointers), 5.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. His true-shooting percentage was 56.0%, and the Rockets had a +2.1 differential with Green on the floor.