HOUSTON
Houston Rockets’ Turkish center Alperen Şengün has committed his future to the team with a lucrative five-year, $185 million contract extension, the NBA team announced on Oct. 21.
The deal, which also includes a player option in the final season, makes Şengün the highest-earning Turkish athlete in history.
The Rockets also reached a three-year, $106 million contract extension with guard Jalen Green, securing the future of the franchise ahead of their season opener against the Charlotte Hornets tonight.
Şengün was selected in the first round of the 20-21 NBA draft and quickly showcased his capabilities.
Prior to the draft, he spent three seasons playing professional basketball in Türkiye from 2018 to 2021 and was named the Turkish Basketball Super League MVP in his lone season with Beşiktaş in his final year.
Şengün showed promise as an NBA rookie with 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 20.7 minutes per game over 72 appearances.
After moving into the starting lineup for the 2022-2023 season, Şengün’s performance got even better. He led the Rockets with 9 rebounds and ranked third on the team with 14.8 points in 75 appearances.
The 2023-24 campaign saw Şengün turn in a near-All-Star-level performance. He averaged career-highs in points (21.1), rebounds (9.3), assists (5.0) and steals (1.2) per game.
Şengün’s season came to an early end when he suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of a March 10 win over the Sacramento Kings. There was initially concern that he suffered a significant injury, but it was diagnosed as a severely sprained ankle and bruised knee.
