The Golden State Warriors had a lackluster offseason, but that isn’t holding Draymond Green back from commenting on other teams’ moves. Green had positive thoughts regarding Amen Thompson after he received a huge contract extension with the Houston Rockets. Five years and $185 million shows that Houston believes he will be a huge piece to help them contend for an NBA Championship.
Green had the following comments unhappy with those criticizing the move and declared Houston as Thompson’s team moving forward:
“I think this is an incredible deal for Amen Thompson. Obviously, we’ve seen the growth. We understand how talented this young guy is. How special he is, especially on the defensive end. A really, really, really talented player who’s only going to continue to get better.
What this deal also says to me, though, is that this is Amen Thompson’s team. Now, Alperen Sengun signed a similar deal. He signed a five-year, $208 million deal. No trade kicker, to my knowledge, but I do know that he has a player option on that last year, whereas Amen Thompson does not have a player option.”
Green compared the contract extensions of Thompson and Sengun before declaring it Amen’s team. Kevin Durant was not even mentioned by Draymond, despite being the biggest name on the roster. Green believes everyone must fall behind Thompson in the pecking order.
Did Draymond Green Insult Kevin Durant & Sengun?
The comment from Green placed Thompson above an all-time icon and a multi-time All-Star. Amen has yet to prove his offensive ability can lead to him reaching an All-Star caliber level. Fans have questioned if Draymond was slighting Durant due to past Golden State Warriors beef.
Green seemed unhappy with Durant making bold comments this offseason about the current Philadelphia 76ers being a more stacked super team than their Warriors squad that won two titles. Golden State also saw Durant leaving partially due to Draymond cursing him out during a tense moment.
However, it appears that Green was just being honest and shared his thoughts on Thompson. Both players have similar molds as elite defenders who became wealthy stars for the defensive skills. The Defensive Player of the Year Award will be harder for Amen than Draymond due to Victor Wembanyama being the strong favorite every season.
Understanding Draymond Green’s Bigger Rockets Point
Green played a role in eliminating the Houston from the playoffs just two seasons ago when the seventh seed Warriors upset the second seed Rockets. Houston responded to this loss by trading both Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green for Durant.
Someone to see the Rockets that close sees a world where Thompson is the best player on the team soon enough. Durant lost a lot of support around the league after he was accused of having a burner account insulting teammates Sengun and Jabari Smith.
Sengun may be next in the line as someone who has proven his greatness already, but his flaws got exposed last postseason. The Los Angeles Lakers got past Houston, despite an injured Luka Doncic missing the entire series. Thompson’s potential and youth make him the most important player if the Rockets become true title contenders.
Draymond Green Says Rockets Are Amen Thompson’s Team