Pistons' deal with Ausar Thompson gives Amen his biggest vote of confidence yet

The Rockets clearly have a lot of faith in Amen Thompson, as evidenced by his usual contract extension. But perhaps no contract has been as telling of Amen's value than the extension just signed by his twin brother Ausar, who got 5 years and $155 million from the Pistons. That's a significant dropoff from Amen's own 5-year/$208 million extension and shows how much Amen's offensive production is worth.

Amen Thompson has much better two-way potential than his brother

Both Thompson twins have already made a name for themselves defensively, including one First Team All-Defense selection so far for each brother. Last season, it was Ausar's turn and he also finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting as he helped Detroit win 60 games. Amen has similar defensive capabilities, but he also carries a much bigger burden on offense.

Last season, Amen averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game while often initiating the Rockets' offense. Ausar has never shown the same creation chops and had much lesser counting stats: 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game. He might have the potential to reach Amen's offensive production one day, but Amen is clearly the better pick right now for overall impact.

Obviously, the Rockets feel that Amen can help them compete for a title right away while they still have an aging star on the roster in Kevin Durant. His flashes on both ends could lead to an All-NBA selection sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the Pistons are accepting that they need more offensive help alongside Ausar, which influenced his contract amount.

In the past, the Rockets front office has been stingier than the Pistons when it comes to handing out extensions. That may have changed this offseason, as evidenced by Jalen Duren's ongoing negotiations with the team following an All-NBA selection but disappointing playoff run. Previously, we've seen the Rockets get great deals on their young players and rookie extensions, which just adds fuel to the fire of how high Amen's ceiling is even compared to his brother.

Both twins can be game-changers

That's not to say both Thompsons can't be critical pieces on title contenders during the span of their next contracts. Both have already played big roles on teams that finished very high in the standings during the regular season - Detroit's 1st place finish in the East last season and Houston's second place finish in the West the year prior.

But Amen can arguably be the centerpiece of a genuine contender, while Ausar profiles more as a high-level supporting piece. The Rockets seem to value Amen and Alperen Sengun about equally going forward, which means either could be the best player if they win a title in the future. On the other hand, it's very clear in Detroit that Cade Cunningham is the best player and everyone else is there to support him.

Some of that is due to Cade's greatness, but swapping Amen onto the Pistons would certainly raise their ceiling. His offensive aggression is exactly what his brother lacks and would certainly unlock more possibilities for Detroit in the playoffs.

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