Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun wants a max contract

Everyone has a different standard. What's sufficient for some may not be enough for others.

Every NBA team has its own standards as well. Specifically, they've got their criteria for awarding contracts. Some teams seem happier to award a max deal than others.

The Houston Rockets don't appear eager to hand out max money. Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green have both watched their peers receive lucrative deals this summer, and they're still on their rookie contracts. In Sengun's case, it's easy to argue that he's earned max money.

He wants it, too.

Houston Rockets star is ready for contract

Of course he does!

Let's take a moment to acknowledge the human element in all of this. Any person would prefer to secure more money over less money. That shouldn't be a controversial statement.

"I want to sign, of course, because when you do, you have peace of mind. You secure your future, and you don’t have to worry anymore. You don’t have the fear of getting injured."

- Alperen Sengun

There's no question of Sengun's desire to get paid, and nobody can hold that desire against him. The pertinent questions revolve around whether he's earned a max deal.

Has he?

Houston Rockets star is (probably) worth a max

There are several angles from which to approach that question.

The market dictates that Sengun deserves a max. That's the simple argument. Evan Mobley just got one. So far, Sengun is ahead of his draft mate in career Box Plus/Minus (BPM) at 2.0 to 1.6, and just barely behind in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) at 5.9 vs 5.8.

By contrast, Sengun is well ahead of Franz Wagner in both categories (0.1 and 3.9 respectively). The same holds true for Cade Cunningham (0.3 and 1.2). If Sengun is statistically equal or superior to his peers receiving max deals, why wouldn't he get a max deal?

Isn't that a slightly reductive argument? Sure, the market is set. The Rockets don't have to yield to the market. Besides, each of these teams are in their own unique situation.

The Cavaliers have championship aspirations - they can't let a key contributor walk. The Pistons, by contrast, can only bank on Cunningham. Ausar Thompson has shown potential, but Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren haven't met expectations. Cunningham may be their only future All-Star.

The Magic have two cornerstones. They will build around Paolo Banchero and Wagner, so, there's no reason to avoid locking either up.

The future is less certain for the Rockets. Having taken a high-volume approach to prospect collection, they have more to consider. The Rockets may want to let the 2024-25 season play out before committing their future to a big man with defensive limitations.

Or, that may not be the problem at all. It may be a simple matter of Sengun's cap hold. Since he wasn't a lottery pick, it's decidedly smaller than any of the players who've received max extensions from his class.

For what it's worth, he's outperformed anybody's standard for the 16th pick in the draft.